File photo
File photo
Last year, 1,674 appointments were scheduled for the James A. Lovell Federal Health Care System in November, and Illinois already has over 2,000 appointments scheduled for November 2020.
According to the U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs, of the 2,032 appointments scheduled, 98.3% were scheduled within 30 days, while the other 1.7% were scheduled within more than 30 days, according to Illinois Business Daily.
The Journal of the American Medical Association released a study that showed the wait times were similar and in some cases better than those in private-sector facilities. But this data might only show part of the appointments, a report from the Government Accountability Office states.
Health Care Director of the GAO Debra Draper told the Illinois Business Daily that patients might wait up to 70 days before an appointment is scheduled.
The VA said when veterans apply for benefits, they are put into one of eight groups based on the priority of care they need, according to Illinois Business Daily.
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