VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION FACTS& FIGURES

The infographic above provides statistics on VA facilities. You can visit the Department of Veterans Affairs website to explore the interactive map mentioned there.

THE ORGANIZATION

The Veterans Health Administration is a component of the US Department of Veterans Affairs that implements the healthcare program of the VA.

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is lead by the United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs. The current Secretary is Robert Wilkie.

The Veterans Health Administration is led by the Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Health. There has been no Under Secretary appointed yet, so the position is currently being occupied by Dr. Richard A. Stone, Executive in Charge.

Department of Veterans Affairs

Veterans Health Administration

Veterans Benefits Administration

National Cemetery Administration

THE NUMBERS

There are 18.2 million veterans in the United States as of our last census. That accounts for about 7.6% of the total population.

Under 50% of those veterans are served by the Department of Veterans Affairs annually.

5.5% of working aged veterans were without health insurance at the time of our last census.

Veterans Affairs' budget has steadily increased over the years. President Trump has requested a 9.6% increase in appropriation for 2020 to allot $220.2 billion in funds for VA programs.

VETERAN HEALTHCARE

History

The roots of the current Veterans Affairs Administration date back to colonial times. With each major war, the programs and benefits evolved and improved beginning with the Civil War through World War II. Take a look below at a timeline that captures some of the milestones that laid the groundwork for the current Administration.

Colonial America

Plymouth enacted the first law on pensions in 1639 to provide for soldiers disabled in the colony's defense against the Indians.

The Civil War

The General Pension Act of 1862 provided disability payments based on rank and degree of disability. The act provided some benefits for widows, children, and dependent relatives.
Union veterans were assigned a special priority in the Homestead Act of 1862, which provided Western land at $1.25 an acre.
In 1862 the National Cemetery System was created to provide burial for the many Union dead.

World War I

Congress passed the War Risk Insurance Act of 1914, and the law was amended in mid-1917 to provide insurance against loss of life and personal injury or capture by the enemy of personnel on board American merchant ships. It also provided government-subsidized life insurance for veterans.
The Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1918 which established the Federal Board for Vocational Education. This law provided any honorably discharged disabled veteran of World War I with vocational rehabilitation training.
In 1921 Congress created the Veterans’ Bureau to consolidate veterans programs managed by the Bureau of War Risk Insurance, Public Health Service and the Federal Board of Vocational Education. This left two other agencies administering veterans benefits — the Bureau of Pensions of the Interior Department and the National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers.
In 1924 Congress passed the World War Adjustment Compensation Act that provided bonuses for veterans of World War I. Any veteran entitled to more than $50 is given a certificate payable 20 years in the future and worth about $1,500.
On July 21, 1930, President Herbert Hoover signed an executive order consolidating the Veterans' Bureau, the Bureau of Pensions and the National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers into the Veterans Administration.
In 1932, during the Great Depression, thousands of World War I veterans marched on Washington to demand payment of their bonuses. The marchers were forcibly removed and the VA paid for their transportation home. Congress authorized early payment of the bonuses in 1936.
In 1933 the VA established the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

World War II

During World War II, on June 22, 1944, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Servicemen's Readjustment Act, also known as the G.I. Bill of Rights. It provided education benefits, federally guaranteed loans, and unemployment compensation.
At the end of World War II, there were around 15 million veterans and all 97 VA hospitals were full. The VA opened 54 new hospitals over the next five years.

In the almost 75 years since WWII, the VA has experienced scandal after scandal resulting in the need for major reform. In an effort to improve care the Mission Act was signed in June of 2018, and is still in the process of being implemented. For a detailed history with links to related stories, to go to CNN Library's, Department of Veterans Affairs Fast Facts. It's an article that is continually updated with the latest news and information on the VA.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE MISSION ACT OF 2018

The document to the right was drafted by the senate to outline the key features of the MISSION Act. You can look through it here or click on the image to go to the online location of the document.

The main focus is to reform the exiting Community Care Program that allows VA patients to be treated in the private sector.

The new legislation also aims to improve care in rural area through the use of telemedicine, peer-to-peer support, and mobile deployment teams.

The Act calls for modernization of facilities, and more resources for hiring and staff retention.

Provisions for live donor transplants are included.

Another important component applies to expanding eligibility for VA Caregivers, and requires the implementation of an IT system to assist with the administration of the program.

WHAT DO THE CRITICS HAVE TO SAY?

Funding will be directed away from VA programs and facilities where the care is intended to be tailored to the unique needs of veterans.
The influx of veteran patients will put a strain on private sector healthcare providers which could actually create longer wait times for care.
Some opponents worry about the cost to taxpayers.
One of the main concerns of the VFW is that VA is not prepared to actually implement the changes called for in the Mission Act.