WASHINGTON (TNS) — America holds its warfighters to the highest standard, expecting them to defend our nation at a moment’s notice. In exchange, we pledge to support them after their term of service ends.
Unfortunately, that support has long fallen short of the mark. Despite its abundant funds, the Department of Veterans Affairs has consistently failed to provide adequate care for veterans — underscoring an urgent need for thorough auditing and reform.
Now Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins and the Department of Government Efficiency have a chance to bring that reform.
Under the Biden administration, VA executives received bonuses despite persistent and prevalent leadership failures — a policy that allowed bureaucrats to benefit while veterans suffered.
This meant that longstanding issues, like the backlog of disability claims, remained unaddressed. Some veterans were sent to unnecessary medical appointments, while others were denied essential follow-up care — a failure that tragically proved fatal for at least one veteran in 2022.
Despite receiving record-high funding, the VA remains riddled with inefficiency. In 2024, the VA’s budget totaled $307.75 billion — and the department requested a $32.9 billion increase for 2025. With this increase, the VA’s funding would have totaled $369.3 billion — money meant to enhance health care services and benefits.
Yet somehow, veterans still struggle to access basic health care and disability benefits. The VA’s claims system is a bureaucratic disaster, often leaving veterans waiting months or even years for benefits.
A 2022 VA watchdog report found that 68% of claims were mishandled due to VA representative errors and 38% of cases lacked proper documentation, directly affecting claim approvals.
These errors directly impact medical care and financial support. By 2022, the VA had 635,026 pending disability claims, with 152,560 backlogged for more than 125 days. This leaves veterans victims of a broken system.
But the VA hasn’t just mishandled claims; it has also mismanaged payments. A 2024 VA Office of Inspector General report found that errors in processing disability claims resulted in $100 million in incorrect payments, including $9.8 million in overpayments and $84.7 million in underpayments.
These failures largely stem from the inadequate training of VA claims processors. As of August 2024, one group found, most newly hired processors were trained virtually rather than in person — a fact that resulted in more errors. The Government Accountability Office found the same in July 2024.
Without proper training, the VA cannot effectively serve those who sacrificed for our country.
With the Trump administration now in office, things are sure to change. Already, Doug Collins has proposed using artificial intelligence to speed up claims processing — an innovative idea that may well help accelerate veterans’ access to care.
But other issues, like the VA’s failed transition to a new electronic health record (EHR) system, also demand attention.
A few years ago, the VA attempted to implement an Oracle-operated EHR system to modernize medical records. Overall, estimates suggest that the project will cost $50 billion or more over the next few years — but so far, people have failed to show how it will create a more reliable system.
Instead, when first implemented, this system became a disaster that caused major disruptions to patient care. The issues were so severe that the federal government paused its rollout in April 2023 due to system failures and safety risks.
According to one report, the new system may have contributed to a veteran’s accidental overdose. When the veteran missed an appointment, the system failed to classify him as a “no-show,” preventing rescheduling. No one followed up, and the veteran fell through the cracks.
All this from a system on which the VA is spending $50 billion or more.
Such errors practically beg for DOGE to step in.
Specifically, DOGE should start by examining this massive contract to determine whether Oracle’s deal is truly worth it or whether the VA should stick with VistA, its former system.
Arguments in VistA’s favor abound.
Many VA employees prefer VistA, stating that switching systems complicated their work, slowed claims processing and worsened the backlog. The RAND Corporation reported that VistA costs only $900 million annually to maintain—a fraction of Oracle’s projected $50 billion.
All this makes VistA a far more cost-effective and functional option — a fact DOGE could quickly discover. Then, it could help the VA work to improve and modernize VistA instead of throwing billions at a failing system.
The Biden administration’s VA failures demand immediate action — action the new administration is perfectly positioned to take. Collins and DOGE now have the opportunity to make the VA an agency that delivers results, eliminates inefficiency, and restores veterans’ faith in the system.
(Wilson Beaver is a Policy Advisor for defense budgeting at The Heritage Foundation. Ka’Von Johnson is a member of Heritage’s Young Leaders Program.)
