Hill Country Chronicle

The VA South Texas Health Care System, subsidiary 671A4 in Kerrville, Texas, scheduled 11,653 pending appointments during the period ending September 1, according to data collected from the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs.

Of the total number of appointments, 10,490 had a wait time of 30 days or less (90%) and 1,163 appointments (10%) 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 to or better than 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.

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 do not have service-connected disabilities and earn a higher income are placed in the lower priority groups.

Facility Code	Location	Total Appointments Scheduled	Appointments Scheduled 30 Days or Less	Appointments Scheduled More than 30 Days
671	San Antonio	57,138	49,845	7,293
671QB	San Antonio	16,936	11,274	5,662
671BY	San Antonio Eckert Road	16,636	16,074	562
671GK	San Antonio	14,843	14,689	154
671A4	Kerrville	11,653	10,490	1,163
671GO	North Central Federal	11,182	10,740	442
671GP	Balcones Heights	6,018	5,891	127
671GL	New Braunfels	5,451	5,309	142
671GQ	Shavano Park	4,696	4,636	60
671GF	San Antonio	4,532	4,474	58
671GB	Victoria	2,533	2,507	26
671GN	Seguin	1,256	1,250	6
671GH	Beeville	188	182	6
671BU	San Antonio	96	96	0
671PA	San Antonio SARRTP	17	17	0
671DT	Unknown	5	5	0

Source: U.S. Veteran's Administration