VA patient numbers jump after efforts to improve medical access

Veterans Affairs medical sites saw a spike in patient visits and drop in wait times over the first half of the new fiscal year, thanks to the addition of more night and weekend appointments, department officials announced Tuesday.

The expanded medical offerings — part of the department’s Access Sprints initiative — comes amid an aggressive push by VA leaders to bring more veterans into their system for health care following expanded eligibility for benefits as part of comprehensive military toxic exposure legislation passed in 2022.

Since March 5, all veterans who served in the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, or any combat zone after Sept. 11, 2001, are eligible to enroll directly in VA health care without first applying for disability benefits.

RELATED

VA plans to trim 10,000 jobs this year, mostly from medical sites

The White House's budget request for fiscal 2025 calls for a 2% reduction in the size of the Veterans Affairs workforce next year.

By Leo Shane III

Through the first five months of fiscal 2024 — which began last October — new patient appointments are up 11% at VA medical centers, officials said. More than 80% of all sites have seen their total number of patients increase over that time compared to a year earlier.

In addition, VA leaders said they saw 12% fewer new patients waiting for appointments beyond department guidelines.

Officials said the Access Sprint initiative was the result of feedback from local VA facilities and regional networks looking for ways to improve timeliness, efficiency, capacity and employee experience.

Now, leaders are hoping to continue those offerings.

VA Under Secretary for Health Dr. Shereef Elnahal said that some of the changes required extra staff or overtime work, but most of the services were designed to be sustainable into future months.

“We’re asking every medical center and network to look very closely at what they can continue, especially since we discovered that we can see many more veterans with these improvements,” he said.

Department planners are looking to trim about 10,000 medical positions through attrition this year, but Elnahal said he does not expect that to impact any patient care capacity.

Veterans interested in signing up for VA health care can contact their local medical center or visit the department’s website.

In Other News

Rival nations try to ‘divide, degrade, deceive’ US voters, experts say

Foreign actors, like Russia and Iran, have been trying to convince American voters that the process is too corrupt to participate in, experts say.

Marine sergeant major busted down for wearing nine unauthorized awards

Included in the awards and decorations the now-sergeant deceptively wore were the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Ribbon and Joint Meritorious Unit Award.

Military families to see slight drop in Tricare dental premiums

Monthly premiums will decrease slightly for the next four months, bringing modest savings for military families

Recruiting vets to work polls boosts election trust, study finds

When veterans and military families work the polls, voters feel more confident that elections are fair, safe and accurate, the study found.

Conspiracies, calls for violence spike online ahead of Election Day

Posts about election denialism, the false belief that elections are unfair and could be “stolen,” increased by 317% on Telegram and 105% on Gab in October.

Load More