ATLANTA, Ga. – On Thursday, Senator Jon Ossoff launched a federal inquiry into the long wait times experienced by Georgia veterans seeking healthcare through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The inquiry aims to address the delays veterans face when trying to make appointments and secure healthcare from community clinics.
According to Ossoff, many veterans have expressed frustration with wait times of three to four months to be connected with community care specialists. The VA offers care to veterans through community providers when it cannot provide the necessary services.
Speaking about the issue, Ossoff stated, I’m hearing consistently from veterans in Georgia that these wait times are impacting their health so we’ve got to do better. The VA has got to do better. And we need to bring Republicans and Democrats together to press the VA to reduce these wait times for our veterans.
One veteran, Frank Marx, who served in the U.S. Army from 1983 to 1987, shared his experience of delays when seeking healthcare through the VA. Marx detailed a situation where it took more than a year to receive oxygen equipment that had been prescribed by a pulmonologist through the VA’s Community Cares program. Marx said he finally received the equipment in February, 15 months after the prescription was made.
In response to the veterans’ complaints, the VA denied the long delays in delivering oxygen equipment, stating that they encourage any veteran facing concerns to contact them for swift action.
However, a November 2023 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office revealed that the VA needs to take additional actions to improve the appointment scheduling process. The report stated that fewer than 40% of VA Medical Centers were scheduling the majority of their community care appointments within the 7-calendar-day standard.
Susan Marx, Frank’s wife, also shared her disappointment with the delayed care for Frank’s severe osteoporosis. She expressed her frustration, saying, It’s heartbreaking not just because he’s my husband, more so that he’s a veteran.
Ossoff’s inquiry demands a response from the VA within 30 days. He emphasized that the ongoing failure to improve community care wait times is unacceptable and raised concerns about the lack of care time standards for community care exacerbating the problem.
A spokesperson from the VA confirmed that they plan on responding to Ossoff’s inquiry and reiterated their commitment to providing veterans with timely and high-quality healthcare.
The launch of the federal inquiry by Senator Ossoff highlights the pressing need to address the long wait times faced by veterans seeking healthcare through community clinics. Swift action is required to ensure that veterans in Georgia receive the prompt and quality care they deserve for their service to the country.
