CHAIRMAN BUYER SEEKS TO RESOLVE OUTPATIENT SCHEDULING CONCERNS

CHAIRMAN BUYER SEEKS TO RESOLVE OUTPATIENT SCHEDULING CONCERNS

Washington, D.C. Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs Steve Buyer today expressed concern over findings in a recent report on outpatient scheduling procedures, issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs inspector general.  The findings reinforced evidence of rising waiting times for health care appointments that was discussed at a Committee hearing on VA health care funding shortfalls Thursday.

The July 8 report, Audit of the Veterans Health Administration’s Outpatient Scheduling Procedures, used survey data gathered by VA’s IG in eight VA medical facilities for the week of June 21-27, 2004.  Initiated by Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson, it found that VA health care schedulers often failed to correctly schedule appointments.  It also found that facility directors did not have accurate data on patient waiting lists.

To provide the best care possible to veterans, VA must more efficiently handle the basics, Buyer said.  I want VA to resolve these problems with appointment scheduling, eliminate these waiting lists, and improve access.

Chairman Buyer, responding to evidence of growing waiting lists at many VA facilities, last week directed VA to fully report its patient waiting times to Congress.  As of July 15, the number of new enrollees and established patients waiting more than 30 days for appointments in Cleveland was 1,638; in San Diego, 621; in Indianapolis, 287; and in Tampa, 2,650. Buyer informed the VA of these numbers at the hearing, and intends to return to the matter.

VA policy requires that any veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 50 percent or more and veterans who need care for any service-connected disability will be scheduled for care within 30 days of the desired appointment time.  If they cannot be, VA must provide for their care at another VA facility or through a non-VA provider at VA expense.

However, misreporting has caused VA medical facilities to understate waiting times.  Veterans were consequently kept on waiting lists past 30 days without referral for treatment at another VA facility or at a non-VA facility.  VA health care facility directors were unaware of thousands of such cases and thus could not ensure correct procedure.

Seven percent of survey respondents said managers or supervisors directed or encouraged them to schedule appointments contrary to established procedures, raising concerns about the system’s accountability and reliability.

VA Under Secretary for Health Dr. Jonathan Perlin agreed to enact IG recommendations, including increased emphasis on following procedure, better training, and better oversight of scheduling staffs.  

Perlin noted in his reply that VA has already launched a program called Advanced Clinic Access, designed to more efficiently schedule and manage appointments system-wide.

Read the VA IG report at: http://www.va.gov/oig/52/reports/2005/VAOIG-04-02887-169.pdf

More information about hearings, legislation, and other activities of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs can be found on our award-winning Website: www.veterans.house.gov