VA Must Implement Callback Option and 10-Minute Wait Time Goal on Customer Service Lines Within One Year

If you’ve ever had to call a government agency, you know the drill: the hold music, the robotic voice repeating “your call is important to us,” and the slow, agonizing realization that you’ve been on hold longer than the average workday. For veterans trying to reach the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for things like scheduling appointments or checking benefit status, this is often the reality.

The Stuck On Hold Act aims to fix this by mandating concrete, technological improvements to most VA customer service phone lines within one year. The core idea is simple: stop making people wait in phone purgatory. This bill requires the VA to install an automated system on every “covered line” that does two key things: first, it must tell you your anticipated wait time. Second, if that wait time is projected to be more than 10 minutes, the system must automatically offer you the option to hang up and receive a callback instead of staying on hold.

The 10-Minute Service Goal

Beyond just offering a callback, this legislation sets a clear, measurable goal for the VA: the Secretary must issue guidance necessary to reduce the average wait time for callers on these covered lines to 10 minutes or less. This is a big deal because it moves beyond vague promises of “better service” and sets a specific operational target. For a veteran trying to coordinate care or benefits, knowing they won't have to sacrifice their lunch break just to talk to a human is a significant win for quality of life and efficiency. This provision directly links the bill to a better user experience.

Who Gets the Upgrade and Who Doesn't

While the Stuck On Hold Act covers the vast majority of VA customer service lines—anything used for general assistance—it explicitly excludes two crucial types of phone lines, and that’s where the fine print matters. The bill specifically carves out exemptions for the toll-free hotline for veterans established under section 1720F(h) of title 38, and any phone line used for the emergency department at a VA health care facility.

What does this mean in practice? It means the veterans who are calling the main crisis or support line, or those calling the emergency room, will not be guaranteed the wait time estimate or the callback option under this law. While the logic might be that these lines are already prioritized, it’s worth noting that the veterans who need the most urgent, immediate help won't benefit from these new transparency and convenience measures. For everyone else calling about a prescription refill or an administrative question, however, the days of endless hold music should be numbered.

The Real-World Impact on Your Time

Think about it this way: if you’re a veteran working a demanding job, or a caregiver juggling family responsibilities, every minute spent on hold is lost time. This bill, by mandating transparency and the callback option, respects the caller’s time. If the VA predicts a 20-minute wait, you can hit a button, hang up, and go back to what you were doing, knowing the VA will call you back. The requirement to hit an average wait time of 10 minutes or less also forces the VA to improve its staffing and technology, which is a structural benefit for everyone who interacts with the agency. Overall, this is a straightforward, beneficial piece of legislation focused on making the administrative side of the VA less of a headache.