The VA Montana Health Care System scheduled 44,458 pending appointments across its 17 locations in January 2021 compared to 51,611 the same month the previous year, according to data collected from the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs.
Of the total number of appointments in January 2021, 41,358 had a wait time of 30 days or less (93%) and 3,100 appointments (7%) were scheduled more than 30 days out.
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in January 2019 reported wait times for new appointments at VA health care facilities were similar to or better than wait times at private-sector providers between 2014 and 2017.
However, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report in July 2019 cautioning the VA’s data-tracking system only captures part of the appointment process and fails to account for the time it takes the VA to enroll veterans in its health benefits program.
After the report was released at a hearing before the House Veterans Affairs Committee, 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 one of eight priority groups, with those who need immediate care due to service-related disabilities placed in higher priority groups. Veterans who don’t have service-connected disabilities and earn a higher income are placed in the lower priority groups.
| Location | Total Appointments Scheduled in January 2021 | Total Appointments Scheduled in January 2020 | Percent change in number of appointments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Harrison | 13,395 | 16,025 | -16.4% |
| Miles City | 352 | 306 | 15% |
| Anaconda | 1,161 | 1,756 | -33.9% |
| Great Falls | 3,038 | 3,219 | -5.6% |
| Missoula | 6,457 | 7,217 | -10.5% |
| Bozeman | 1,329 | 1,871 | -29% |
| Kalispell | 5,134 | 5,640 | -9% |
| Billings | 5,135 | 6,689 | -23.2% |
| Glasgow | 268 | 199 | 34.7% |
| Glendive | 265 | 271 | -2.2% |
| Cut Bank | 236 | 224 | 5.4% |
| Lewistown | 197 | 547 | -64% |
| Billings | 5,011 | 4,356 | 15% |
| Havre | 627 | 325 | 92.9% |
| Hamilton | 1,208 | 1,302 | -7.2% |
| Plentywood | 30 | 32 | -6.2% |
| Helena | 614 | 1,632 | -62.4% |
Source: U.S. Veteran’s Administration
