Aroostook News

The VA Maine Health Care System, subsidiary 402QB in Houlton, Maine, scheduled three 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, three 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
402	Augusta	25,655	20,809	4,846
402HB	Bangor	7,317	5,816	1,501
402GE	Lewiston	2,523	2,029	494
402HC	Portland	2,245	1,902	343
402GD	Saco	855	735	120
402GA	Caribou	742	716	26
402GC	Rumford	395	386	9
402GB	Calais	188	156	32
402GF	Lincoln	118	96	22
402HL	Bingham	65	62	3
402QA	Fort Kent	11	11	0
402QB	Houlton	3	3	0

Source: U.S. Veteran's Administration