The Department of Veterans Affairs announced on April 6 that more than 100,000 new veterans have enrolled in VA health care so far in 2026. The department said it reached this milestone by March 31, faster than it has in six of the last seven years.
This increase is being attributed to a series of changes and improvements made by the VA during the second Trump Administration. The department says these efforts are aimed at making services more accessible and responsive to veterans’ needs.
“We have transformed VA from a bureaucratic organization to a service organization, where Veterans come first in everything we do,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins. “These enrollment numbers are proof that Veterans are responding to the historic improvements we are making under President Trump.”
According to the announcement, since January 2025 the VA has opened 34 new health care facilities across the country and reduced its benefits backlog by 67 percent after an earlier increase during the previous administration. The department also offered more than two million appointments outside normal hours for greater convenience.
The VA plans to spend nearly $5 billion on modernizing and repairing its facilities in fiscal year 2026, which officials say is its largest single-year investment for non-recurring maintenance. In addition, direct care appointments and community care referrals both reached record highs in fiscal year 2025. Efforts to address homelessness among veterans led to over fifty-one thousand formerly homeless veterans being permanently housed last year—the highest total reported since seven years ago.
The department encourages eligible veterans as well as their families, caregivers, and survivors to learn about available services and apply for health care or other earned benefits.
