The Veterans Administration Dramatically Reduces Its Backlog During 2025

VA took a big hit from the Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks (MISSION) Act of 2018, which established the Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP) and allowed the VA to contract with private clinicians at full retail pricing. This provided veterans enrolled in both the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and Medicare two government sources of health care financing. The VHA is billed if the veteran receives care at one of its facilities or is referred to a community facility; Medicare is billed only if the veteran is treated for a service not covered by VHA.

The VHA has a $ 435.3 billion FY 26 budget for 6.7 million enrollees and their survivors, many of whom are young and do not use much care. Medicare has an $ 850 billion budget for 68 million enrollees, most of whom are much older and require a lot of care. Many VHA enrollees double dip, using both VA and Medicare to pay for their health care. Medicare has a much higher proportion of female beneficiaries and they use 30% more health care services than males.

Point of Reference: The VHA had a $ 77.8 billion budget in FY 2018, before the Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks (MISSION) Act of 2018 kicked in. Over 7 years, VHA has seen a 460% increase.  Medicare and Medicaid have received no such increase.

VHA is proudly claiming to have reduced their backlog dramatically, and improved service as well.  Money was part of the fix, but better management may have been even more important:

VA goes from Biden backlog to Trump turbo with claims cleared and clinics opened
The VA has notoriously been a subject of ridicule for years among veteran and non-veteran communities alike.
By Amanda Head - January 11, 2026

Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins is touting significant reforms in serving America's veterans, arguing the Trump administration is reversing Biden-era trends by increasing visits while reducing backlogs and wait times.

Collins spoke exclusively to Just The News, No Noise television show Friday and said, "It is simply that the veteran comes first at the VA.

"We put back the only reason for us to exist. We put back at the very focus of what we do, is a veteran walking through the door or making a phone call or making an inquiry. And so, when you take a bureaucratic organization that for the lot of its time and energy has been spent on how does it treat itself instead of how did it treat its customer, then you have a way to start making great progress," he added.

Backlog of vets waiting for benefits down more than 49%

The improvements have come quickly in many areas that were suffering prior to Collins taking over the department.

The backlog of veterans waiting for VA benefits has decreased more than 49% (and up to 57% in later reports) since January 20, 2025, following a 24% increase during the Biden Administration.

The progress, officials say, stems from enhanced processing efficiency, with the VA achieving an all-time fiscal-year high by processing three million disability compensation and pension claims by September 30, 2025 — surpassing the previous record set in FY 2024.

To improve convenience and timeliness of care, the VA has opened 20 new health care clinics nationwide, expanding services for veterans across the country. Since January 20, 2025, the department has provided more than 1.4 million appointments outside normal operating hours, including early-morning, evening, and weekend slots, offering veterans greater flexibility.

The VA is also investing an additional $800 million in infrastructure improvements to ensure facilities deliver safe and effective patient care. These funds are drawn from savings achieved through various VA reform efforts, like pruning its DC workforce by nearly 30,000 employees last summer.

The department has also worked to streamline access to community care, in an effort to make it easier and faster for enrolled veterans to receive treatment from non-VA providers at the VA's expense.

According to Collins, major reforms have simplified the process for survivors to obtain benefits, addressing serious issues from the prior administration. The VA is accelerating the deployment of its integrated electronic health record system, which had been largely stalled for nearly two years under the previous administration.

Recovering duplicate billing, so that funds are properly directed to vets

Additionally, in a partnership with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the VA identified and recovered $106 million in duplicate billing, enhancing fiscal responsibility.

Veteran homelessness has been an issue plaguing the community for decades but in fiscal year 2025, the VA permanently housed 51,936 homeless veterans — the highest number since FY 2019 — demonstrating renewed focus on this critical issue through targeted programs and outreach.

As of last spring, many Washingtonians were still working from home, despite the Covid-19 pandemic being long over. However, under Collins' leadership, tens of thousands of VA employees have returned to in-office work to improve teamwork and service delivery. The department has terminated union contracts for most bargaining unit employees, redirecting millions in previously wasteful union spending back to veteran services.

The VA has also ended DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives at the department, reversing Biden-era policies and halting more than $14 million in related spending. Additionally, the department is phasing out treatment for gender dysphoria, described as a commonsense reform.