The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced the elimination of the backlog in applications for the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA). This program provides health care coverage to over 900,000 spouses, dependents, survivors, and caregivers of veterans.
According to the VA, when President Trump took office there were more than 70,000 CHAMPVA applications pending. Some applicants had waited over 150 days for action on their cases. The department now reports that as of October, the backlog has been reduced to zero. New applications are currently processed within a few days, with about 4,000 new submissions each week and processing capacity exceeding incoming volume.
Appeals related to CHAMPVA have also seen significant improvement. The number of appeals waiting for processing dropped from more than 20,000 under the previous administration to around 1,000 now. The VA expects this number to continue declining.
The reduction in backlogs is attributed to actions taken by VA Secretary Doug Collins. “Veterans around the country knew it was taking far too long to process CHAMPVA applications, and that meant delayed coverage for their loved ones,” said Collins. “We listened, and now the application backlog that caused so many unnecessary delays has been wiped out.”
Collins implemented overtime pay for application processors and introduced process engineering and automation measures. Automation is expected to further improve processing times as VA transitions in December to a more automated system for handling CHAMPVA applications. Currently, over 90% of medical services and pharmacy claims are processed electronically within days.
The VA outlined other recent changes aimed at improving service delivery:
- Since January 20th, twenty new health care clinics have opened nationwide.
- Wait times for health care increased in five out of six main areas under the previous administration but are now improving in four areas.
- The backlog of veterans waiting for benefits rose by 24% previously but has since decreased by 57%.
- An additional $800 million is being invested in infrastructure improvements using savings from departmental reforms.
- Nearly one million appointments outside normal hours have been offered since January 20th.
- Access to non-VA providers at VA expense has become easier and faster.
- Reforms have made it simpler for survivors to receive benefits after prior issues.
- A record number of disability claims—2.52 million ratings claims—were processed by August 8th in fiscal year 2025.
- The president’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget request includes an increase in funding for the VA.
These efforts reflect ongoing attempts by the administration to address delays and improve access to care and benefits for veterans and their families.
