TWEET THIS How Has VA Spending Changed Over Time? In addition to healthcare services, the VA is statutorily required to conduct medical research, train healthcare professionals, as well as support the Departments of Defense and Health and Human Services as necessary.

Some priority groups are required to pay co-payments for certain benefits, but none pay premiums, deductibles, or coinsurance for care. The system helps ensure that the veterans most in need receive care quickly. Upon determining eligibility, the VA enrolls veterans into one of eight priority groups based on various factors including severity of disabilities, income, and combat veteran status (among others). To be eligible, veterans must meet minimum service requirements though exceptions are made for veterans discharged due to service-connected disabilities. Medical benefits include hospital services, prescriptions, medical equipment, and prosthetic devices. The VA is a direct provider of healthcare and health-related services for veterans through an integrated healthcare system spanning 1,298 sites of care, including hospitals, community living centers, healthcare centers, community-based outpatient clinics, other outpatient service sites, and dialysis centers. The stipend increases each year to reflect the same cost-of-living-adjustments as Social Security the monthly stipend in 2023 is $1,619, equivalent to nearly $19,400 per year. Medal of Honor Pension: This program pays a monthly benefit for life to 66 Medal of Honor recipients. In 2022, 125,740 survivors received an average annual benefit of $9,986. Survivors include spouses and children of deceased veterans. Survivors Pension: Most survivors are eligible for this benefit if the deceased veteran met the requirements for the Veterans Pension program and the survivor meets the same net worth requirement. In 2022, the Veterans Pension program paid an average annual benefit of $13,270 to 173,969 beneficiaries. Veterans Pension: To be eligible, a veteran must meet criteria related to period of service and military discharge status, income and net worth, and disability or age. In addition, the VA administers three pension programs: According to the Veteran Benefits Administration’s Annual Benefits Report, 5.4 million veterans received an average of $20,686 in disability compensation in 2022. Payments grow in step with disability ratings, and benefits are adjusted for the number of dependents if a veteran has a 30 percent or higher disability rating. Veterans Disability Compensation: Veterans with a service-connected (a physical or mental injury or condition that was “incurred or aggravated” in the line of military duty) are eligible for monthly support. The majority of such spending, about $136 billion, was for compensation for service-connected disabilities. Spending for income security programs for veterans and their survivors totaled $140 billion in 2022. TWEET THIS Income Security Programs for Veterans The vast majority of VA programs provide income security and healthcare to eligible veterans and their families. In general, a veteran is a person who served in the military and who was discharged (retired) in conditions other than dishonorable. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is the primary steward of federal support for veterans.

How Does the Department of Veterans Affairs Allocate Its Resources? To shed light on this important topic, this piece examines spending on veterans within the budget and outlines the factors that have pushed it higher in recent years. In addition, lawmakers enacted the PACT Act in August 2022 to enhance health and disability benefits for veterans exposed to toxic substances during active duty, which will boost spending significantly.Įnsuring that our veterans receive the benefits they have earned and deserve is a critical national priority. In 2022, spending for programs that support veterans totaled $272 billion, or about 4 percent of all federal spending. Federal spending for veterans has increased sharply in the past two decades as scores of veterans returned home from extended wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, many with significant needs resulting from their service.

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