Central ND News

The Fargo VA Medical Center, subsidiary 437GB in Bismarck, North Dakota, scheduled 2,045 pending appointments during the period ending March 1, according to data collected from the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs.

Of the total number of appointments, 1,983 had a wait time of 30 days or less (97%) and 62 appointments (3%) were scheduled more than 30 days out.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in January 2019 reported 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.

However, the Government Accountability Office released a report in July 2019 cautinging 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 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
437	Fargo	29,270	27,566	1,704
437GB	Bismarck	2,045	1,983	62
437GD	Minot	1,663	1,649	14
437GE	Bemidji	1,079	1,049	30
437GC	Fergus Falls	902	899	3
437GI	Grand Forks	624	617	7
437GF	Williston	353	347	6
437GA	Grafton	349	345	4
437GK	Jamestown	326	323	3
437GJ	Dickinson	283	272	11
437GL	Devils Lake	262	262	0

Source: U.S. Veteran's Administration