The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has successfully reduced wait times for Veterans seeking health care, despite experiencing record demand for its services.
In April, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) reported an 11% decrease in average wait times for new primary care patients and a 7% decrease in average mental health care wait times compared to last year.
Increased Medical Appointments
The VA set new records for completed medical appointments last year and is on track to break those records again this year. So far, the department has completed 11% more patient appointments compared to the same period last year, including a 13% increase in mental health appointments for new patients.
VA’s Commitment to Enhanced Care
Under Secretary for Health Shereef Elnahal highlighted that these improved metrics come at a time when the VA is delivering more care and benefits to Veterans than ever before. This increase in demand is driven by the aging Veteran population and their need for more chronic condition care.
Impact of the PACT Act
The VA is providing unprecedented levels of health care and benefits under the 2022 PACT Act, which expands eligibility for Veterans exposed to toxic substances during their military service. Over the past year, the VA has enrolled more than 400,000 Veterans in health care, marking a 30% increase from the previous year.
Wait Time Standards and Community Care
The average wait time to schedule a mental health appointment with the VA is now about 17 days, meeting its access standard of 20 days or less. Veterans who wait more than 20 days for an appointment are referred to non-VA community care for mental health services. Primary care appointments average 22 days, slightly exceeding the VA’s 20-day standard, but efforts are ongoing to meet this target.
Trust and Hiring Initiatives
Recent data shows that 92% of Veterans trust the health care they receive from the VA. Despite facing hiring constraints, the VHA hired over 61,000 employees in fiscal 2023, its fastest growth rate in 15 years, exceeding hiring goals and reducing staff turnover by 20%.
Hiring Constraints and Workforce Management
In response to budget constraints, the VHA is limiting hiring to key areas, expecting to reduce its workforce to just over 380,000 by the end of fiscal 2025 through attrition. Elnahal emphasized that despite these constraints, the VA has sustained improvements in access and appointment availability.
Access Sprints and Ongoing Improvements
From October 2023 to February 2024, the VA conducted “access sprints” focusing on night and weekend clinics and increasing the number of patients seen by each provider. These efforts have led to sustained improvements, with more than 80% of VA medical centers seeing increased patient numbers compared to the previous year.
AI Tech Sprint and Reducing Clinician Burnout
The VA recently announced the winners of its AI Tech Sprint, highlighting projects aimed at reducing clinician burnout. These include AI-powered note-taking tools and systems that summarize extensive medical records, allowing clinicians to spend more time with patients.
Congressional Oversight and Accountability
The House VA Committee is set to hold a hearing on the $11 million in bonuses awarded to ineligible career executives, following findings from the VA inspector general’s office. Elnahal acknowledged the oversight issues and emphasized the department’s commitment to implementing corrective measures to prevent future errors.
The VA’s efforts to reduce wait times and improve health care access for Veterans are yielding positive results. With continued focus on hiring, technological advancements, and addressing systemic issues, the VA aims to provide the highest standard of care and support to Veterans.
