VHA Overview
Detailed Subtopics:
Current State
Cost
Eligibility
“Health care services for military service-members, veterans, and their dependents are provided by the Department of Defense, through programs such as TRICARE, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. In 2017, an estimated 9 million individuals (2.7% of the U.S. population) had TRICARE and 7 million (2.3% of the U.S. population) individuals had VA Care. Together, these departments accounted for $114 billion (3.4%) of total HCE.”
Source: Congressional Research Service. In Focus: U.S. Health Care Coverage and Spending. Updated March 21, 2019.
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF10830
“VA is responsible for providing benefits to veterans, including health care, disability compensation, and various types of financial assistance. In fiscal year 2019, VA received a total budget of $201.1 billion, and the largest discretionary budget in its history—$86.6 billion, about $20 billion higher than in 2015. The department operates one of the largest health care delivery systems in the nation through its Veterans Health Administration (VHA), with 172 medical centers and more than 1,000 outpatient facilities organized into regional networks. VA has faced growing demand by veterans for its health care services, with the total number of veterans enrolled in VA’s health care system rising from 7.9 million to more than 9 million from fiscal year 2006 through fiscal year 2017. In fiscal year 2019, VHA received $73.1 billion of VA’s $86.6 billion discretionary budget. In addition to providing health care services, VA provides cash benefits to veterans for disabling conditions incurred in or aggravated by military service. To carry out its mission, VA spends tens of billions of dollars to procure a wide range of goods and services, including medical supplies; to construct hospitals, clinics, and other facilities; and to provide the information technology (IT) to support its operations.”
Source: Sustained Leadership Needed to Address High-Risk Issues. Statement of Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States. Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, House of Representatives, May 22, 2019. Government Accountability Office. GAO-19-571T. https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-19-571T
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