Kokomo Standard

The VA Northern Indiana Health Care System, subsidiary 610GD in Peru, Indiana scheduled 2,721 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, 2,602 had a wait time of 30 days or less (95.6%) and 119 appointments (4.4%) 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
610A4	Fort Wayne	28,686	26,776	1,910
610	Marion	15,512	14,251	1,261
610BY	Mishawaka	11,995	11,553	442
610QA	Fort Wayne	3,534	3,246	288
610GB	Muncie	3,501	3,369	132
610GD	Peru	2,721	2,602	119
610GC	Goshen	2,037	1,990	47
610BU	Marion	7	6	1
610QB	Columbia Place	2	2	0

Source: U.S. Veteran's Administration