WASHINGTON (AP) — An audit shows that nearly 600 patients seeking appointments at the VA hospital in the District of Columbia are still waiting after more than 90 days, even though average wait times there are roughly in line with the national average.
The Department of Veterans Affairs released the audit Monday after reports that some VA hospitals were manipulating records to hide excessive wait times that new patients faced in getting appointments.
According to the audit, 569 patients were waiting 90 days or more for an initial appointment at the District facility. That number was higher than average for the 141 hospitals identified in the audit.
The average wait time for a new patient to receive an appointment with a primary care physician was 39 days, slightly shorter than the median wait.
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