Fifth Largest Government Spender

Hmmm. I read this and wonder what should veterans do if the Government is spending more money? Since the sixties, many of us were exposed to chemical warfare in Vietnam. drank the polluted water at Camp Lejeune, were wounded in action or lost limbs, suffered mentally, and had a difficult time adjusting to society.

The VA is not the friendliest organization from which to get benefits. It was only recently, the VA decided to cover those veterans based at Camp Lejeune up to 1982 (I believe). There are still issues they will not cover.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is the fifth-largest spender among federal agencies, accounting for 3.5% of federal spending in fiscal year (FY) 2023. Adjusting for inflation, VA expenditures increased nearly 70% over the last decade, from $180 billion in FY 2013 to $301 billion in FY 2023.

The VA is the fifth-largest spender among federal agencies

What does the VA spend money on?

The VA spends most of its money — about half — on veteran income security, which includes veteran pensions and disability compensation. It spent another 42% on hospitals and medical care. The remainder went to veteran education, training, rehabilitation, and housing.

Between 2013 and 2023, spending on medical care for veterans increased by about 83% (adjusting for inflation) from $68.4 billion to $125.5 billion. Spending on income security programs increased 76% over the same period, growing from $85.8 billion to $151.1 billion, while spending on veteran education, training, and housing declined.

Is the veteran population aging?

Yes: Almost 50% of veterans were 65 or older in 2022, compared to 39% in 2005. With this aging population, total annual VA spending per veteran increased from about $4,300 in 2005 to an inflation-adjusted $14,400 in 2022.

This may explain why spending is increasing although the share of the US population who are veterans is shrinking; the number of veterans decreased by 3.7 million, from 21.9 million (or 6.9% of the population) to 18.2 million (around 5.7%), between 2013 and 2023. The aging of the veteran population may increase the cost of their care given the long-term care needs and complex health challenges of older Americans.