Corpus Christi Sun

The VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System, subsidiary 740GI in Corpus Christi, Texas, scheduled 440 pending appointments during the period ending October 1, according to data collected from the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs.

Of the total number of appointments, 440 had a wait time of 30 days or less.

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 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
740GB	McAllen	12,475	12,203	272
740	Harlingen	11,081	10,374	707
740GA	Harlingen Treasure Hills	7,893	7,595	298
740GH	Corpus Christi	7,275	6,309	966
740GC	Corpus Christi	6,328	6,230	98
740GD	Laredo	3,529	3,497	32
740GI	Corpus Christi	440	440	0

Source: U.S. Veteran's Administration