Veterans Affairs (VA) has set a record in the fiscal year 2023 for delivering healthcare and benefits to Veterans across the nation. It's reported that more Veterans received care and benefits in 2023 than ever before, improving their access to healthcare resources.
"More Veterans than ever received care and benefits in 2023," confirmed VA secretary Denis McDonough, quoted in a press release published by the Veterans Affairs website. McDonough also stressed on the agency's commitment towards serving Veterans, saying: "As Americans, it's our sacred obligation to serve Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors - just like they've served us." He revealed that during 2023, over 116 million health care appointments were completed for veterans which surpassed the previous record by more than three million appointments. Furthermore, resources and assistance were provided to approximately 74,270 Veteran family caregivers.
The data revealed an increase in earned benefits given to veterans during the fiscal year 2023. The VA handled around 2,433,729 claims applications – marking a 39% increase from the previous year. As a result, about $163 billion was distributed as earned benefits. This included $150 billion as compensation and pension benefits disbursed among over 1.5 million veterans and their survivors. A staggering total of almost two million veteran and survivor claims were processed - surpassing previous records by about 15.9%. This notable expansion of VA health care was attributed to the enactment of PACT Act into law in Aug. 2022.
Lastly, according to this press release from VA's office, there has been significant growth within two of its bodies: the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA). VHA currently employs over 400K employees whereas VBA maintains a staff of over 32K - making this the fastest growth rate seen in last fifteen years. Moreover, retention efforts have led to a 20% decrease in turnover rate among VHA employees. VA's portfolio of services has expanded to include maternity care, breast cancer screenings, reproductive care, housing for formerly homeless veterans, and consistent outperformance of non-VA hospitals. The VA encourages all Veterans and their caregivers to apply for their world-class healthcare and earned benefits.
