NC Minnesota News

The Fargo VA Medical Center, subsidiary 437GE in Bemidji, Minnesota scheduled 1,549 pending appointments in October compared to 1,543 during the same period last year, according to data collected from the U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs.

Of the total number of appointments this October, 1,542 had a wait time of 30 days or less (99.6%) and seven appointments (0.4%) were scheduled more than 30 days out.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in January 2019, reported that wait times for new appointments at VA health care facilities were similar or better to wait times at private-sector providers between 2014 and 2017.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO), however, released a report in July 2019 that cautioned that the VA's data-tracking system only captures part of the appointment process and fails to account for the time that it takes the VA to enroll veterans in its health benefits program.

At a hearing before the House Veterans Affairs Committee after the report was released, Debra Draper, health care director at the GAO, said new patients may actually wait up to 70 days for an appointment when they first enroll for benefits.

The VA explains on its website that when veterans apply for benefits, they are assigned to 1 of 8 priority groups, with those who need immediate care due to service-related disabilities placed in higher priority groups. Veterans who do not have service-connected disabilities and who earn a higher income are placed in the lower priority groups.

Fargo VA Medical Center - 437GE Appointments Scheduled in October 2019 vs. October 2018

Facility Code	Location	Total Appointments Scheduled in October 2019	Total Appointments Scheduled in October 2018	Percent change in number of appointments
437	Fargo	26,557	24,485	8.5%
437GA	Grafton	259	252	2.8%
437GB	Bismarck	1,909	1,680	13.6%
437GC	Fergus Falls	561	532	5.5%
437GD	Minot	1,166	931	25.2%
437GE	Bemidji	1,549	1,543	0.4%
437GF	Williston	257	286	-10.1%
437GI	Grand Forks	1,095	906	20.9%
437GJ	Dickinson	370	621	-40.4%
437GK	Jamestown	488	377	29.4%
437GL	Devils Lake	205	189	8.5%

Source: U.S. Veteran's Administration