“The Biden Administration is proposing to increase the Department of Veterans Affairs 2023 budget by $301.4 billion, a 10.6% increase from 2022 that will be allocated largely toward veterans health care and support services.”
“Having been formed in consultation with leadership across Veterans Affairs, the budget request features new allocations for a range of critical programs, including a 21.3% increase for various forms of VA health care delivery and modernization.”
“These investments are centered on the agency’s ongoing push to improve health care delivery via facilities modernization, IT development, as well as increases to both employee training and compensation.”
“The 2023 budget proposal also increases emergency preparedness funding, likely intended to support demands like that of the COVID-19 pandemic and VA’s role supporting America’s health care network during a national public health crisis.”
“Notable among these allocations is funding for the Veterans Health Administration’s construction or modernization of facilities, provisions stemming from the 2018 MISSION Act, some of which had been temporarily delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Funding for major and minor construction projects increased by nearly 40% and 43% respectively over the 2022 budget. This amounts to a total allocation of $804.5 million for major construction projects and $163.5 million for minor construction projects in 2023.”
“One of the most prominent decreases in the 2023 proposal is a drop in funding for the VA’s electronic health records program, marking a 33.9% decline from 2022.”
“On an accompanying press call, VA CFO Jon Rychalski noted that this was due to much of the up-front investment in EHR development and site preparation already having been accomplished by 2022…” Read the full article here.
Source: VA Budget Sees 11% Increase in Biden Proposal – By Adam Patterson, April 4, 2022. GovCIO.
