Veterans Care in Spotlight as Trump Administration Weighs VA Cuts, Tech Modernization

As the nation marks Memorial Day, there are more and more questions about the future of health care for veterans, as the Trump Administration pledges staff cuts, tech overhauls, and rule changes in its bid to modernize the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

In the skinny budget for fiscal year (FY) 2026, the administration proposed a four percent funding increase in discretionary spending at VA. The $5 billion jump would include $3 billion for medical care improvements and $2 billion to upgrade medical records.

But VA intends to save money with a two-pronged approach: cutting jobs and working with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to review legacy computer systems. 

On the job front, Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins told Congress that the goal is to cut approximately 15 percent of the VA workforce in the coming years and get the agency down to 2019 staffing levels. However, Secretary Collins insists that the cuts will not affect veterans’ care. 

"We have been emphatic that we will not be cutting benefits and health care, only improving them," said Secretary Collins, who noted that the VA is limiting doctor and nurse resignations. 

But members of Congress did not buy that answer, saying it’s impossible to get to 2019 staffing levels without letting frontline workers go. 

"It simply cannot be done. And you may give us a lot of verbiage here, but you're not giving us facts. And facts are essential to accountability," said Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), ranking member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. 

Tech to Offset Staff Cuts?

Secretary Collins also said that advances in technology can help the agency function at 2019 staffing levels, saying that automation and digitization can help offset staffing cuts. 

“There may be new applications, new legislations that come forward, but there’s also newer technologies, there’s also newer and quicker ways that we can get stuff done so that’s the efficiency issue,” Secretary Collins told the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. 

The VA also said that it’s working to fast track deployment of its new electronic health record (EHR) system by giving tech giant Oracle more control over the rollout of the software. 

Health Care Rule Change

In addition, the agency just changed a rule to allow veterans to make it easier for veterans to receive access to non-VA health care.

Effectively immediately, veterans no longer need a second VA physician to review and approve their eligibility to receive non-VA health care. Instead, the determination will rest solely on the veteran and their referring VA clinician.

This may ease some of the pressure on VA capacity. 

Veterans, VA Employees Speak Out

With all this going on in Washington, veterans’ groups and VA employees around the nation are speaking out to ensure their voices do not get lost in the debate. 

For instance, in Fayetteville, North Carolina, home to Fort Bragg, a community panel was held to discuss the changes. 

“How we take care of them (veterans) after service is kind of our Number One recruiting tool as well for future people who want to join the military,” said retired Army Captain Scott Peoples, a member of Veterans for Responsible Leadership (VFRL).

And in Cincinnati, Ohio, VA nurses held rallies to protest the job cuts. 

“This will deteriorate veteran care,” said Courtney Collins, a VA nurse and local union leader.