Fix VA Phone System Failures That Block Veterans From Care

**Fix VA Phone System Failures That Block Veterans From Care** The VA Inspector General just documented what veterans already know: they can't reach their healthcare providers by phone. Demand immediate action to fix this broken system. The numbers are damning. Of 2.1 million call attempts to specialty clinics over 12 months, 13 out of 15 facilities tracked nothing for nearly 1 million calls. No data on how many were answered, how many veterans gave up, or how long they waited. This isn't just inconvenient. Veterans with suspected cancer are leaving voicemails that go unanswered. Mental health patients can't get through. Some of them are forced to drive to facilities in person just to schedule an appointment. The VA set standards in 2023: answer 80% of calls within 30 seconds. But the Office of Information and Technology admits they lack systems to measure whether facilities are meeting this goal and have no plans to build them. Without data, there's no accountability. Push the VA to install call tracking systems at every specialty clinic immediately and publish monthly performance reports by facility. Veterans calling radiology and mental health clinics shouldn't disappear into a black hole. They deserve better care than this.