Veterans Health Care: VA Has Taken Steps to Improve Its Appointment Scheduling Process, but Additional Actions Are Needed

Excerpt:  “In January 2023, [U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)] reported that the Department of Veterans’ Affairs’ (VA) Veterans Health Administration (VHA) had set timeliness standards for how long it should take, following a referral, to get a specialty care appointment scheduled at either a VHA facility or with a community care provider. However, GAO found that VHA did not have timeliness standards for how many days until the appointment occurs—that is, how long the veteran has to wait to receive care. GAO recommended then that VHA develop a standard for the number of days within which appointments with VHA facility providers should occur. VHA recently implemented this recommendation. In the January 2023 report, GAO also reiterated a similar recommendation from a 2018 report—that VHA develop a standard for the number of days within which an appointment with a community care provider should occur. VHA agreed with the 2018 recommendation and has taken steps to address it but has not yet fully implemented it.”