Hilton Head Reporter

The Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, subsidiary 534GC in Beaufort, South Carolina, scheduled 4,567 pending appointments during the period ending July 1, according to data collected from the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs.

Of the total number of appointments, 4,564 had a wait time of 30 days or less (99.9%) and three appointments (0.1%) 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 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
534	Charleston	41,391	39,147	2,244
534BY	Savannah	15,618	15,298	320
534GD	Goose Creek	8,820	8,673	147
534GE	Hinesville	6,921	6,862	59
534QA	Myrtle Beach	4,686	4,630	56
534GC	Beaufort	4,567	4,564	3
534GB	Myrtle Beach	3,474	3,427	47
534GF	North Charleston	1,500	1,482	18
534QB	North Charleston	1,172	1,172	0
534QC	Charleston	107	107	0

Source: U.S. Veteran's Administration