Internal Department of Veterans Affairs data provided by whistleblowers reveals the agency is only filling about half of its capacity to make medical appointments, even as veterans continue to wait an average of at least 30 days before a medical appointment can be scheduled.
The VA documents show that between July and September of 2017, the agency only used 51.44 percent of the appointments available across its healthcare system.
VA documents also show there are currently 184,520 veterans across the nation waiting longer than 30 days for an appointment and more than 45,000 new veteran patients waiting more than 90 days. Internal VA documents also indicate 479,239 veterans nationwide are waiting for physician requested follow-up appointments over 30 days for the period July to September 2017.
The VA says its times have improved over the last few years.
"The wait time for all VA clinics from the date the veterans first requests an appointment to the date when the appointment is completed has decreased from 19 days to 17 days since 2014," according to VA spokesperson Curt Cashour.
But in clinics around the country, the VA's ability to use all of its available appointment time is still lagging.
In Iowa, the VA's clinic utilization averaged just over 41 percent while between ten to twelve thousand appointments remained unfilled each of those months. Even while thousands of appointments remained unused, there were 1,291 veterans waiting more than 30 days for an appointment and at least 82 waiting longer than 90 days.
WASHINGTON -- Suicide among military veterans is especially high in the western U.S. and rural areas, according to new government data that show wide state-by-state disparities and suggest social isolation, gun ownership and access to health care may be factors.
The figures released Friday are the first-ever Department of Veterans Affairs data on suicide by state. It shows Montana, Utah, Nevada and New Mexico had the highest rates of veteran suicide as of 2014, the most current VA data available. Veterans in big chunks of those states must drive 70 miles or more to reach the nearest VA medical center.
The suicide rates in those four states stood at 60 per 100,000 individuals or higher, far above the national veteran suicide rate of 38.4.
The overall rate in the West was 45.5. All other regions of the country had rates below the national rate.
Other states with high veteran suicide rates, including West Virginia, Oklahoma and Kentucky, had greater levels of prescription drug use, including opioids. A VA study last year found veterans who received the highest doses of opioid painkillers were more than twice as likely to die by suicide compared to those receiving the lowest doses.
The latest VA data also reaffirmed sharp demographic differences: Women veterans are at much greater risk, with their suicide rate 2.5 times higher than for female civilians. Among men, the risk was 19 percent higher among veterans compared to civilians. As a whole, older veterans make up most military suicides -- roughly 65 percent were age 50 or older.
"This report is huge," said Rajeev Ramchand, an epidemiologist who studies suicide for the RAND Corp. He noted that the suicide rate is higher for veterans than non-veterans in every single state by at least 1.5 times, suggesting unique problems faced by former service members. "No state is immune."
Quote by TriSec:
Yeah, so you know that primary?
It's actually not even in my precinct (Ward 6-2), nor at my polling station (Ward 2-2).
But you know what? I got up and went to the polling place, even though I neither voted nor worked today.
That's better than 99% of the population in this Commonwealth today.
Yes, and sad but true - of the 8 Wards in Waltham, plus three At-Large seats, only 3 of them are contested and require a primary.
You get what you vote for. Status Quo Rules!
Quote by wickedpam:
Morning
Hey, did ya hear, tRump is still trying to have his military parade complete with missiles and shit.
Quote by Raine:Quote by wickedpam:
Morning
Hey, did ya hear, tRump is still trying to have his military parade complete with missiles and shit.
He's such a asshole.
I heard that too.
I am not looking forward his UNGC speech today.
It was written by Miller.
Quote by Raine:Quote by wickedpam:
Morning
Hey, did ya hear, tRump is still trying to have his military parade complete with missiles and shit.
He's such a asshole.
I heard that too.
I am not looking forward his UNGC speech today.
It was written by Miller.
Quote by wickedpam:Quote by Raine:Quote by wickedpam:
Morning
Hey, did ya hear, tRump is still trying to have his military parade complete with missiles and shit.
He's such a asshole.
I heard that too.
I am not looking forward his UNGC speech today.
It was written by Miller.
Oh great, which means its probably going to be racist and shitty.
Quote by Mondobubba:
Gotta go to a funeral Friday afternoon. One of my coworkers from the AOL days. He dropped dead of a heart attack at age 37.
Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by Raine:Quote by wickedpam:
Morning
Hey, did ya hear, tRump is still trying to have his military parade complete with missiles and shit.
He's such a asshole.
I heard that too.
I am not looking forward his UNGC speech today.
It was written by Miller.
Why is Kelly gonna fire that racist fuckstick?
Why the hell is he talking about the stock market at the UN?
— Angry WH Staffer (@AngrierWHStaff) September 19, 2017
Quote by Raine:pretty sure he's goot bigger fish to catch.Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by Raine:Quote by wickedpam:
Morning
Hey, did ya hear, tRump is still trying to have his military parade complete with missiles and shit.
He's such a asshole.
I heard that too.
I am not looking forward his UNGC speech today.
It was written by Miller.
Why is Kelly gonna fire that racist fuckstick?
Quote by Raine:
Oh dear God. He off message.Why the hell is he talking about the stock market at the UN?
— Angry WH Staffer (@AngrierWHStaff) September 19, 2017
Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by Raine:
Oh dear God. He off message.Why the hell is he talking about the stock market at the UN?
— Angry WH Staffer (@AngrierWHStaff) September 19, 2017
Has he thanked them for being there? Please tell me his suit jacket buttoned.
Pres. Trump at #UNGA - "Rocket man is on a suicide mission for himself and his regime."
— Jesse Rodriguez (@JesseRodriguez) September 19, 2017
Quote by Raine:Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by Raine:
Oh dear God. He off message.Why the hell is he talking about the stock market at the UN?
— Angry WH Staffer (@AngrierWHStaff) September 19, 2017
Has he thanked them for being there? Please tell me his suit jacket buttoned.Pres. Trump at #UNGA - "Rocket man is on a suicide mission for himself and his regime."
— Jesse Rodriguez (@JesseRodriguez) September 19, 2017
Quote by Raine:Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by Raine:
Oh dear God. He off message.Why the hell is he talking about the stock market at the UN?
— Angry WH Staffer (@AngrierWHStaff) September 19, 2017
Has he thanked them for being there? Please tell me his suit jacket buttoned.Pres. Trump at #UNGA - "Rocket man is on a suicide mission for himself and his regime."
— Jesse Rodriguez (@JesseRodriguez) September 19, 2017
John Kelly, left, reacts as he listens to President Trump's U.N. speech. (Photo: Mary Altaffer/AP) https://t.co/mPR68T7rJ4 pic.twitter.com/MGNQ2jVWVc
— Colin Campbell (@colincampbell) September 19, 2017
Bragging about working with GRU fronts to interfere in US elections will sometimes have that effect, yes! Enjoy prison! ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ pic.twitter.com/AWeRmTXYFX
— Eric Garland (@ericgarland) September 19, 2017
Quote by BobR:
Hey mateys - it's Talk Like A Pirate Day! Arrhh...
Quote by Raine:John Kelly, left, reacts as he listens to President Trump's U.N. speech. (Photo: Mary Altaffer/AP) https://t.co/mPR68T7rJ4 pic.twitter.com/MGNQ2jVWVc
— Colin Campbell (@colincampbell) September 19, 2017
Quote by Raine:
you guys may appreciate this. It appears that one of these flew over our house last evening!
Quote by TriSec:Quote by Raine:
you guys may appreciate this. It appears that one of these flew over our house last evening!
Like this?
Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by BobR:
Hey mateys - it's Talk Like A Pirate Day! Arrhh...
Secara peribadi saya akan berada dalam cara yang berbeza. Kerana, mari kita hadapi, lanun terbaik di zaman moden adalah rakyat Malaysia.
Quote by TriSec:Quote by Raine:
you guys may appreciate this. It appears that one of these flew over our house last evening!
Like this?
Quote by TriSec: