The VA Office of Inspector General found that roughly 80% of mental health appointments arranged through the VA's Community Care program met the 30‑day access standard, but most VA sites failed to meet the seven‑day scheduling goal. The OIG examined consults from Oct. 1, 2024, to Sept. 30, 2025, and reported that only 5 of 133 medical systems met the seven‑day metric and missed referrals averaged 56 days. Inspectors blamed scheduling practices, reliance on phone and postal mail, and provider availability, and recommended contract and process changes. The VA says it has acted on several recommendations and expects improvement under new Community Care Network contracts.
OIG: VA Community Mental Health Appointments Largely Meet 30‑Day Standard, But Seven‑Day Scheduling Goal Falls Short
Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington. (Getty Images)
About 80% of mental health appointments arranged through the Department of Veterans Affairs' Community Care Program are scheduled within the VA's 30‑day access standard, but VA schedulers frequently miss the seven‑day target for initiating those appointments, according to a report from the VA Office of Inspector General (OIG).
Key Findings
The OIG reviewed community care consults for mental health services across 133 VA medical systems for the period Oct. 1, 2024, through Sept. 30, 2025. Inspectors found:
- Roughly 80% of referrals resulted in appointments within 30 days.
- Only five of 133 medical systems met the OIG's seven‑day scheduling metric for initiating appointments.
- When referrals missed the 30‑day standard, the average wait time was 56 days.
- During the review period, more than 825,000 veterans received mental health treatment—more than 1 million consults to VA facilities and about 198,000 referrals to community providers.
What Caused Delays?
OIG reviewers identified several contributors to scheduling delays. Much of the lost time occurred during the scheduling process itself, where staff relied heavily on telephone calls and postal mail to reach veterans and community providers. Additional barriers included limited availability of providers for requested services and difficulty contacting outside providers.
"Process improvements are needed to enable VA to meet its scheduling and appointment timeliness standards for mental health consults. Veterans who receive community care services for mental health consults represent a vulnerable group," wrote Larry Reinkemeyer, Assistant Inspector General for Audits and Evaluation.
Recommendations
The OIG made several recommendations aimed at closing scheduling gaps and improving access, including:
- Amending contracts with firms that manage community care to ensure timely delivery of services.
- Evaluating and updating the referral system to follow scheduling best practices.
- Improving systems to identify available providers who can deliver requested services.
- Assessing contractor capacity for in‑person and telehealth appointments.
VA Response and Ongoing Reforms
VA officials told the OIG they have implemented several recommendations and expect performance improvements under the new Community Care Network contracts. VA leaders also said they are engaging with providers and contractors to close gaps, reviewing outreach best practices, and supporting facilities to help schedulers communicate more effectively with veterans and outside providers.
The VA is reorganizing aspects of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), including reducing regional offices, streamlining leadership, and creating a centralized "Community Care Hub" to standardize referrals, improve access, and better track payments.
Why This Matters
Timely mental health care is critical: delays can worsen conditions and increase risks to veterans and others. The OIG report shows that while most veterans receive care within 30 days, the scheduling process needs targeted improvements to meet the faster seven‑day benchmark and reduce lengthy waits when standards are missed.
Full report period: Oct. 1, 2024 – Sept. 30, 2025.
Contact: The OIG report and VA response outline next steps and monitorable actions to address the identified issues.
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