Maui Reporter

The VA Pacific Islands Health Care System, subsidiary 459QB in Kaunakakai, Hawaii scheduled 73 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, 66 had a wait time of 30 days or less (90.4%) and seven appointments (9.6%) 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
459	Urban Honolulu	27,845	24,818	3,027
459GB	Hilo	4,065	3,770	295
459GE	Guam	3,387	3,175	212
459GG	Ewa Beach	3,199	3,050	149
459GA	Kahului	2,930	2,665	265
459GD	Lihue	2,230	2,106	124
459GC	Kailua	1,833	1,630	203
459GF	American Samoa	1,033	919	114
459QB	Kaunakakai	73	66	7
459GH	Saipan	59	43	16

Source: U.S. Veteran's Administration