Springs Times

The VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System, subsidiary 554GE in Colorado Springs, Colorado, scheduled 15,756 pending appointments during the period ending December 1, according to data collected from the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs.

Of the total number of appointments, 13,817 had a wait time of 30 days or less (87.7%) and 1,939 appointments (12.3%) 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
554	Aurora	39,379	32,892	6,487
554GE	Colorado Springs	15,756	13,817	1,939
554GD	Pueblo	6,927	6,561	366
554GC	Golden	5,221	4,586	635
554GB	Aurora	2,867	2,683	184
554QB	Aurora	1,505	1,019	486
554GJ	Denver East 9th Avenue	881	822	59
554GF	Alamosa	576	561	15
554GG	La Junta	430	392	38
554GI	Burlington	299	296	3
554GH	Lamar	264	255	9
554QC	Salida	60	60	0

Source: U.S. Veteran's Administration