VA announced recently that its disability claims backlog fell below 70,000 for the first time since February 2020. That success has been partially attributed to technology modernization, which includes the use of AI in early stages of the benefits process.
Veterans With ALS Report High Satisfaction With VA Care Compared to Outside Care
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurogenerative disease that has devastating symptoms. It is 1.5 times more common in military veterans than those who never served. A recent survey found that veterans with the disease gave high marks to VA’s highly comprehensive and coordinated system to manage their care.
Primary Care Provider Burnout Linked to Secure Patient Message Volumes in VA Healthcare Systems
Increasing numbers of secure patient messages are overwhelming primary-care providers in the VA health system and appear to be leading to clinician burnout, according to new research.
Aeromedical Evacuations Higher for Mental Health Conditions During Decreased Military Conflict
During decreased military conflict, mental health conditions are often the leading cause of aeromedical evacuations. In fact, these conditions have been the key reason for aeromedical evacuations from the U.S. Central Command since 2009, according to a recent review article.
More Than 100 Retired and Active VA Physicians Have Sounded a Warning About Community-Care Pitfalls
More than 100 active and retired VA physicians recently spoke out against the direction the department is heading in an open letter to VA Secretary Douglas Collins.
More than Three-Fourths of VA Hospital Had Top CMS Star Ratings
VA facilities shone bright in the 2025 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 2025 hospital quality ratings.
VA Budget Bill Increases Community Care Funding 50% Over Last Year
Legislation calling for a $453 billion VA appropriation was advanced out of the House Appropriations Committee last month, making it the first FY2026 funding bill to reach that marker.
2025 Compendium of Federal Medicine Introduction
Nearly 15 years ago, shortly after I had become the editorial director of U.S. Medicine, I was attending a professional journalism event in Washington, DC, and was chatting with a young man who was looking for employment as a writer.
Non-VA Services Reveal Hidden Biases in VA Hospital Performance Metrics
As the veteran population ages and healthcare options expand, it might be beneficial for the VHA to reassess how it evaluates hospital performance, a new study suggested.
Happiness Levels in U.S. Military Veterans Similar to General Population
Overall, U.S. military veterans report happiness levels that are only slightly lower than the general population, despite potentially traumatic experiences during deployment.
Issues Weren’t That Different in VA 60 Years Ago
With news every day about VA staffing cuts, the cancellation of contracts and, essentially, the way the agency does business, it is interesting to look back to what might seem to us as a simpler time – 60 years ago, when U.S. Medicine began.
VA Urged to Avoid Large Monolithic IT Projects, Use a More Modular Approach
Legislators, agency watchdogs and VA leaders are in agreement: The department must stop investing in massive, multiyear IT projects whose intention is to solve a technology need in one fell swoop.
VA EHR Rollout Will Resume in 2026 at Several Michigan Sites
VA has announced that it is planning to restart the rollout of its electronic healthcare record modernization project in mid-2026, starting with four facilities in Michigan—Ann Arbor, Detroit, Battle Creek and Saginaw.
Payer Shift From Medicare Meant Extra $2 Billion VA Emergency Care Costs
At least $2 billion of VA spending for community emergency department care in 2021 was due to a payer shift from Medicare, according to a recent research letter.
VA Insists That Extra $6.6 Billion Still Needed; Inflation Driving Up Costs of Drugs, Prosthetics
At a public examination of VA’s ongoing budget crisis, Republican legislators accused agency leaders of general incompetence and of using the budget as political leverage during an election season.
VA Accused of Not Keeping Up with a More Active Amputee Patient Population
While VA has long considered itself a provider of world-class prosthetics care, younger veterans are reporting that the department has yet to adapt to a more active patient population.
Why Hasn’t More Community Care Improved Veteran Mortality Rates?
In 2014, Congress enacted the Choice Act, followed by the MISSION Act in 2018. Introduced in response to concerns that delays in receiving VA care were negatively impacting veterans, these legislations were designed to simplify the process for veterans to access VA-purchased care.
Nearly $15 Billion Budget Shortfall Must Be Addressed This Month, VA Officials Said
Congress recessed for August without passing legislation to close the nearly $15 billion budget shortfall VA is facing for this year and next. The shortfall, which came to light in July, includes $2.88 billion for the remainder of FY2024 and $12 billion for FY2025.
VA EHR Rollout at Lovell Federal Healthcare Center Better Than Previous Sites, But Legislators Say Some Issues Persist
About six months ago, the James A. Lovell Federal Healthcare Center became the sixth VA site to switch to the Oracle-Cerner electronic health record (EHR).
Legislators Question Continued Usefulness of VISN System at VA
The Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs), which group VA’s facilities into 18 interconnected regions, has been a key part of the department’s structure since they were created in the late 1990s. Now, following a series of key oversight failures at VA facilities and years of watchdog agencies reporting frustrating inconsistencies from VISN to VISN, legislators are wondering if this structure is really the best way to oversee VA’s 172 hospitals nationwide.
Fewer Deaths After Serious Illness in Veterans Treated With PARC Care Model
After a serious illness, veterans who received medical care via the Post-Acute Recovery Center (PARC) model experienced fewer deaths and more days outside of the hospital compared to those not treated with PARC, according to a recent study.
VA Resource Crunch Less Than Feared With PACT Act-Related Enrollment Surge
The VA is experiencing less of a resource crunch this year due to the PACT Act-related surge than previously expected, according to VA Secretary Denis McDonough. He gave the credit to early planning and increased hiring.
Women Veterans Receiving Surgery at the VHA Have Half the Risk of Mortality
Only 11% of U.S. military veterans are women, according to recent statistics, and they make up even a smaller percentage of patients using VA healthcare—about 10%.
VA Seeks ‘Maintenance Budget’ After Record Growth in Enrollment, Hiring
While VA’s proposed budget represents a 10% increase from last year, it includes decreases in key areas like hiring and infrastructure.
Does ‘Underserved’ Designation Demoralize Staff at VA Facilities?
For the past several years, VA has been identifying the most underserved facilities in its system and requiring them to create action plans to improve care to their veterans.
Opposing Trends for Accidental Death Rates in Returning Soldiers
A longitudinal cohort study, published in the Annals of Epidemiology, determined if risk for accidental death overall, or the most common types of accidental deaths, varied over time in relation to when a soldier returned from a combat deployment.
VA Healthcare Found to Generally Be More Efficient Than Private Care
Several recent studies have shown that VA healthcare is consistently as good as—or better than—non-VA healthcare. Now a study shows VA healthcare is also more efficient.
Military Healthcare Beneficiaries Have Better NSCLS Survival.
Does the universal healthcare provided by the U.S. military health system (MHS) mean better lung cancer survival for patients? A new study suggested that is the case.
VA Trying to Pick Up Slack for Rural Veterans Losing Community Healthcare
VA has long struggled to provide care to veterans in rural areas of the country. Veterans living there are frequently required to drive long distances to VA hospitals, and smaller VA clinics are not always available.
Nearly 20% of Veterans Showed Decline During Pandemic
While most U.S. veterans maintained or improved physical and mental function a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, almost 20% showed a decline, according to a new study.