The Department of Veterans Affairs released an audit on Monday tallying the wait times at its 731 hospitals and clinics nationwide. The numbers aren't good. Of the roughly six million veterans scheduled for care at these facilities, more than 57,000 have been waiting more than three months for an appointment, and almost 64,000 others have never been seen despite having been enrolled in the VA system for a decade. In three-quarters of hospitals, some wait-time data had been manipulated, and 13 percent of schedulers told auditors that "supervisors or others" had told them to falsify that data, The New York Times reports.
As of last month, most veterans were scheduled to be seen within 30 days, but individual VA medical centers had worse numbers. In the Phoenix hospital, which started the scandal, the average wait time for a new primary care patients was 55 days, and lots of VA hospitals had worse delays. The worst? Honolulu, at 145 days. The VA audit tagged 112 facilities for further review.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
'The disconnect between actual health care and the insurance model is widening'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Cautious optimism surrounds plans for the world's first nuclear fusion power plantTalking Point Some in the industry feel that the plant will face many challenges
-
Explore new worlds this winter at these 6 enlightening museum exhibitionsThe Week Recommends Discover the estrados of Spain and the connection between art and chess in various African countries
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
