NEW VA PATIENTS FACE LONG WAITS IN TEXAS
Texas veterans seeking help at VA centers are looking at long waits, according to a report from the Associated Press.
The findings were part of a national audit of 731 hospitals and large clinics conducted admid reports of patients dying while waiting for an appointment at a VA Hospital/
The Texas numbers, based on a snapshot of VA data from May 15th, show that while 92 percent scheduled to receive an appointment within two weeks and 96 percent are scheduled within three weeks, many patients have to wait much longer than that.
New patients seeking mental health care, meanwhile faced a 61 day average wait in the Amarillo facility. The Harligen facility had the overall worst record in the nation, with a 145 day wait on average.
Republican U.S. Senator John Cornyn decried the fact that more than100,000 veterans nationwide had their initial medical appointments delayed as long as ten years.
Local Congressman Michael McCaul said recently that veterans needing help from the VA should be able to use vouchers from the VA to go totheir local hospitals and doctors.
The Veterans Administration has been the target of severe criticism since reports emerged over the delays of veteran appointments at a hospital in Phoenix, Arizona. The trouble was compounded when it appeared that fabricated lists of veteran appointments were made to make the appearance that veterans were not waiting so long for appointments.
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