VA updates FY 2025 health care budget shortfall to $6.6B, nearly half its previous estimate

The Department of Veterans Affairs is cutting its request for additional funding by almost half after officials told lawmakers last week that a shortfall in its health care budget wasn’t as severe as earlier estimates showed. The VA is now asking Congress for a $ 6.6 billion supplement to its fiscal 2025 budget to keep providing more health care to more veterans than ever before. Under Secretary for Health Shereef Elnahal said in an interview Tuesday that the PACT Act, which expands eligibility for VA health care and benefits to…

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House Republicans lead $3B VA supplement to fix year-end budget shortfall

House Republicans are leading a supplemental funding bill to address a multi-billion-dollar budget crunch at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Leaders of the House Appropriations and House VA committees introduced a bill Friday that would give the VA $ 3 billion to ensure the department can keep paying benefits to veterans for the rest of the fiscal year. The Veterans Benefits Continuity and Accountability Supplemental Appropriations Act would ensure the VA has enough funding to keep paying veterans’ compensation, pension and readjustment benefits for the rest of fiscal 2024. The…

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