The nation’s veterans and their families rely on Veterans Affairs for health care and disability benefits. We testified on our body of work covering VA’s longstanding challenges in:
- Ensuring that veterans get the health care they need
- Managing supply chains and VA’s acquisition workforce to ensure VA medical centers get needed medical supplies
- Administering disability benefits to ensure that veterans get appropriate, timely compensation
- Securing veterans’ electronic health records and other sensitive data
Since 2000, we’ve made over 1,500 recommendations to help VA improve its vital services for veterans. Of those, 220 still need action…
What GAO Found
…VA acquisition management. VA obligated about $56 billion for goods and services in fiscal year 2022. GAO has identified challenges in VA’s acquisition programs such as VA’s development of adequate strategies and policies, as well as its management of its supply chain and its acquisition workforce.
VA disability programs. As one of the largest disability compensation programs in the nation, VA provided over $112 billion in compensation to approximately 5.6 million veterans and their families in fiscal year 2021. GAO has identified challenges within these compensation programs, including overseeing the medical exams needed to make decisions about disability claims.
VA cybersecurity and privacy. Vulnerabilities arising from VA’s increased dependence on information technology can result in the compromise of sensitive personal information, such as inappropriate use or disclosure. The VA Office of Inspector General identified significant deficiencies in VA’s efforts to implement an agency-wide information security program that met the requirements of the Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014.
Addressing each of these longstanding challenges requires sustained leadership and would help ensure veterans receive the care and benefits they deserve…