WASHINGTON (AP) – An updated audit of 731 Veterans Affairs hospitals and clinics shows that tens of thousands more veterans than previously reported had to wait at least a month for medical appointments at VA facilities.
But the audit also includes new data showing that average wait times actually experienced at most VA hospitals and clinics facilities are shorter than what future appointment schedules indicate.
The latest audit shows that about 10 percent of veterans seeking care at VA hospitals and clinics don’t get appointments within 30 days of seeking them. That’s more than double the 4 percent reported last week as having at least a month’s wait.
VA officials said the bottom line of the two reports remains unchanged: Many veterans are still waiting too long for care.