Posted on Apr 19, 2016
Despite what the VA says, veterans still wait weeks to see a doctor
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Military veterans continue to wait several weeks for medical care, according to a new watchdog report, contradicting assertions from top Veterans Affairs officials that most patients see a doctor within six days.
Released Monday, the Government Accountability Office's review of appointment wait times for patients new to VA health care found that veterans wait three to eight weeks for medical appointments. Others could not see a primary care doctor at all because VA staff did not handle the appointments correctly, the report GAO report says.
On Monday, VA Secretary Bob McDonald said 97 percent of VA appointments are completed within 30 days, with the average wait time from three to six days.
The GAO and VA measure wait times differently, which is why there's a discrepancy: VA starts counting from the day a scheduler returns a veteran's call or request for an appointment, according to GAO health care issues director Debra Draper.
Draper said VA should count from the day a veteran calls to request an appointment.
The difference is crucial, Draper said, to understanding whether appointment wait times are in fact decreasing.
“Since 2000, and in particular, over the past five years, we have consistently reported on the VA’s failure to ensure veterans timely access to health care,” Draper told House Veterans Affairs Committee members on Tuesday.
The VA was rocked by scandal in 2014 when an investigation revealed that some VA hospitals maintained appointment schedules outside the official system, and lengthy delays in care contributed to some veterans' deaths.
Draper said the same issues that led to the VA scandal — ongoing schedule errors, including incorrectly revising dates when rescheduling appointments — continue to be a problem.
"We think that from the time the veteran requests care and they actually receive care, this should be counted ... this is going to make VA a better system," she said.
House Veterans Affairs Chairman Jeff Miller, R-Fla., appeared to be annoyed by VA's measurement metrics. They're prone "to manipulation," he said.
"The obvious result of VA reporting only a portion of veterans’ actual wait times is artificially low results. I still do not understand a culture that persists in presenting inaccurate data to this committee, or more important, to the veterans of this country," Miller said.
VA Undersecretary for Health Dr. David Shulkin told Miller and committee members that since taking office last year, his top priority has been to fix access issues at VA and reduce wait times.
To accomplish this, he told the committee, he needed to install new leadership at the Veterans Health Administration and emphasize the VA's commitment to access among all employees.
All VHA employees now have a set of foundational principles called "MyVA Access Declaration," to guide them to providing timely care to former service members, according to Shulkin.
"A year from now we will not be having this discussion” on wait times, Shulkin said.
Draper said the GAO has begun meeting with VA officials to help the department develop action plans with "metrics we can both agree to" — a step that will help measure whether progress is being made.
Lawmakers said Tuesday that the prolonged wait times at VA are an ongoing issue for constituents who must wait months for health care.
“You paint too rosy a picture," Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., told Shulkin. "The system is broken. The people in my district are frustrated and angry.”
"The GAO is continuing to find fault in the way you collect data and how you are reporting it. You can understand why we are still skeptical that you are touting the number that 96 percent of all patients are seen before this arbitrary goal of 30 days," said Rep. Raul Ruiz, a medical doctor and California Democrat.
The House and Senate are currently working on veterans omnibus legislation that will address issues with the Veterans Choice program, including access to care, and accountability for VA employees who are found to be guilty of negligence or malfeasance in their duties.
Released Monday, the Government Accountability Office's review of appointment wait times for patients new to VA health care found that veterans wait three to eight weeks for medical appointments. Others could not see a primary care doctor at all because VA staff did not handle the appointments correctly, the report GAO report says.
On Monday, VA Secretary Bob McDonald said 97 percent of VA appointments are completed within 30 days, with the average wait time from three to six days.
The GAO and VA measure wait times differently, which is why there's a discrepancy: VA starts counting from the day a scheduler returns a veteran's call or request for an appointment, according to GAO health care issues director Debra Draper.
Draper said VA should count from the day a veteran calls to request an appointment.
The difference is crucial, Draper said, to understanding whether appointment wait times are in fact decreasing.
“Since 2000, and in particular, over the past five years, we have consistently reported on the VA’s failure to ensure veterans timely access to health care,” Draper told House Veterans Affairs Committee members on Tuesday.
The VA was rocked by scandal in 2014 when an investigation revealed that some VA hospitals maintained appointment schedules outside the official system, and lengthy delays in care contributed to some veterans' deaths.
Draper said the same issues that led to the VA scandal — ongoing schedule errors, including incorrectly revising dates when rescheduling appointments — continue to be a problem.
"We think that from the time the veteran requests care and they actually receive care, this should be counted ... this is going to make VA a better system," she said.
House Veterans Affairs Chairman Jeff Miller, R-Fla., appeared to be annoyed by VA's measurement metrics. They're prone "to manipulation," he said.
"The obvious result of VA reporting only a portion of veterans’ actual wait times is artificially low results. I still do not understand a culture that persists in presenting inaccurate data to this committee, or more important, to the veterans of this country," Miller said.
VA Undersecretary for Health Dr. David Shulkin told Miller and committee members that since taking office last year, his top priority has been to fix access issues at VA and reduce wait times.
To accomplish this, he told the committee, he needed to install new leadership at the Veterans Health Administration and emphasize the VA's commitment to access among all employees.
All VHA employees now have a set of foundational principles called "MyVA Access Declaration," to guide them to providing timely care to former service members, according to Shulkin.
"A year from now we will not be having this discussion” on wait times, Shulkin said.
Draper said the GAO has begun meeting with VA officials to help the department develop action plans with "metrics we can both agree to" — a step that will help measure whether progress is being made.
Lawmakers said Tuesday that the prolonged wait times at VA are an ongoing issue for constituents who must wait months for health care.
“You paint too rosy a picture," Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., told Shulkin. "The system is broken. The people in my district are frustrated and angry.”
"The GAO is continuing to find fault in the way you collect data and how you are reporting it. You can understand why we are still skeptical that you are touting the number that 96 percent of all patients are seen before this arbitrary goal of 30 days," said Rep. Raul Ruiz, a medical doctor and California Democrat.
The House and Senate are currently working on veterans omnibus legislation that will address issues with the Veterans Choice program, including access to care, and accountability for VA employees who are found to be guilty of negligence or malfeasance in their duties.
Despite what the VA says, veterans still wait weeks to see a doctor
Posted from armytimes.comPosted in these groups: 
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Disabled Veterans
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Disabled Veterans
Posted >1 y ago
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I just called VA for an appointment, it would have been a month away... This is why I choose to go to my Primary Care Doctor from my private insurance. It's stupid that I have settle for 30 day delay to get an appointment, medication refill or a referral.
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SPC Anna Larson
Thirty days is short. My co-worker called in April to get an appointment to refill his blood pressure meds. He needed an appointment by July as that's all the meds he had left. the VA told him in April, that they couldn't see him until sometime in August.
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