LANSING, MI (AP)-- Chronically long waits for care that have infuriated patients at Veterans Administration hospitals and clinics in some parts of the country are rare in Michigan.
The AP examined waiting times at 940 VA hospitals and outpatient clinics nationwide from September 1st to February 28th to gauge whether things have improved since a scandal over delays last summer. The review found that, nationally, the number of delays was not getting smaller, but long waits were relatively rare in the Midwest.
The VA's timeliness standard calls for patients to be seen within 30 days.
Nationally, 2.8 percent of appointments took more than 30 days to complete.
Only three VA facilities in Michigan performed worse than the national average, and there was at least a little improvement lately in all three.