US EditionVA to slash health networks from 18 to 5 in major care system overhaul
- Yesterday, Senate Democrats released a report linking Trump administration VA policies to the loss of 40,000 employees amid Jan. 22, 2026 congressional hearings.
- Beginning last year, VA Secretary Doug Collins announced plans to cut 30,000 jobs through attrition and reorganize regional networks from 18 to five, while the Trump administration shifted the VA budget to increase outside-provider spending by 50.7% and reduce in-VA care by 17.4%.
- Report data show appointment waits for new mental‑health patients now average 35 days, exceed 40 days in 15 states with Maryland at 54 days, and the Veterans Health Administration lost roughly 1,000 physicians and 3,000 registered nurses.
- Consequences include appeals waits growing to 3,541 days, 75,000 students with unpaid education bills, and VA facilities serving over 120,000 western Massachusetts veterans risking poor ratings and closure.
- The VA's contracting timeline shows a $1 trillion RFP issued in December with proposals due March 15, while Sen. Richard Blumenthal urges safeguards and lawmakers demand oversight.
15 Articles
15 Articles
VA officially lifts hiring freeze, but staffing caps still in place for shrinking workforce
The Department of Veterans Affairs is officially lifting a hiring freeze on its health care workforce, after shedding tens of thousands of positions last year. But the VA, which saw the first-ever workforce net decrease, is unlikely to hire its way to a higher headcount than what it currently has. A report from Democrats on the Senate VA Committee released Thursday finds VA facilities are still operating “within strict staffing caps.” “Facility …
‘Cost explosion’ or ‘revolutionary idea’? Lawmakers debate VA’s trillion-dollar plan to expand community care
A VA official detailed a proposal for restructuring community health care as a nationwide network of providers managed by third-party administrators.
Cuts are hollowing out Veterans Administration health care (Viewpoint)
As we begin the year, the Trump administration is moving further to shrink the VA workforce. Fewer staff means longer wait times for appointments and more veterans getting sent to private-sector care.
VA to slash health networks from 18 to 5 in major care system overhaul
The Department of Veterans Affairs is proposing its biggest health care overhaul in three decades, a plan that would slash the number of regional networks from 18 to five and eliminate a top executive position.VA Secretary Doug Collins says the changes will cut red tape and get veterans faster access to care. The reorganization aims to reduce bureaucracy and improve communication across the nations largest health care system.But questions and co…
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