Myrtle Beach Leader

The Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, subsidiary 534QA in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, scheduled 4,750 pending appointments during the period ending September 1, according to data collected from the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs.

Of the total number of appointments, 4,576 had a wait time of 30 days or less (96.3%) and 174 appointments (3.7%) were scheduled more than 30 days out.

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
534	Charleston	37,489	35,324	2,165
534BY	Savannah	15,212	14,915	297
534GD	Goose Creek	7,768	7,684	84
534GE	Hinesville	6,691	6,659	32
534QA	Myrtle Beach	4,750	4,576	174
534GC	Beaufort	4,066	4,062	4
534GB	Myrtle Beach	3,504	3,402	102
534GF	North Charleston	2,103	2,086	17
534QB	North Charleston	1,308	1,308	0
534QC	Charleston	95	95	0

Source: U.S. Veteran's Administration