Pocatello Times

The VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, subsidiary 660GA in Pocatello, Idaho scheduled 2,910 pending appointments during the period ending January 1, according to data collected from the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs.

Of the total number of appointments, 2,706 had a wait time of 30 days or less (93%) and 204 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 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 who 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
660	Salt Lake City	52,371	47,420	4,951
660GB	Ogden	5,493	5,415	78
660QA	Idaho Falls	3,007	2,846	161
660GA	Pocatello	2,910	2,706	204
660GJ	West Valley City	2,589	2,435	154
660GG	St. George	2,155	2,019	136
660GE	Orem	2,031	1,969	62
660QC	South Ogden	763	641	122
660GD	Roosevelt	253	233	20
660GK	Elko	152	128	24
660QB	Price	149	142	7
660MA	IDES Hill AFB	21	21	0

Source: U.S. Veteran's Administration