{"id":2339935,"date":"2024-09-11T19:03:57","date_gmt":"2024-09-11T23:03:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/veterans-affairs-shortfall-nearing-breaking-point-nine-days-before-benefits-could-be-affected-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-09-11T19:09:05","modified_gmt":"2024-09-11T23:09:05","slug":"veterans-affairs-shortfall-nearing-breaking-point-nine-days-before-benefits-could-be-affected-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/veterans-affairs-shortfall-nearing-breaking-point-nine-days-before-benefits-could-be-affected-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Veterans Affairs shortfall nearing breaking point nine days before benefits could be affected &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fveterans-affairs-shortfall-nearing-breaking-point-nine-days-before-benefits-could-be-affected-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2339935&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) \u2063faces \u200da\u200c critical budget \u200dshortfall \u200bof $15 billion, with only nine days left \u200cto address the issue before \u200dpotentially impacting the benefits of millions of veterans. Congress has been aware of \u200da $3 billion deficit for the \u2064<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/most-of-bidens-1-9-trillion-coronavirus-relief-bill-has-nothing-to-do-with-public-health\/\" title=\"Most Of Biden\u2019s .9 Trillion Coronavirus Relief Bill Has Nothing To Do With Public Health\">current fiscal year<\/a> and a projected $12 billion shortfall for fiscal 2025. A recent funding proposal from the House Appropriations Committee aims \u200dto allocate nearly $3 billion to the VA, which includes measures to investigate the \u2062causes of this financial gap and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/newport-beach-doctor-charged-with-assaulting-male-patients\/\" title=\"Newport Beach Doctor Accused of Assaulting Male Patients\">prevent future occurrences<\/a>.\u2064 If the \u200dfunding isn&#8217;t approved, over 5 million veterans could\u2063 risk losing their benefits, heightening the possibility of a government shutdown.<\/p>\n<p>Retired\u2062 Army lieutenant colonel Jim Whaley, \u2062who leads the nonprofit Mission Roll Call, emphasized the urgency of the\u2062 situation, stating that the well-being of many families\u200b is at stake. He\u2063 called for swift \u2064action\u200d to rectify the budget\u2062 issues and implement safeguards against recurring mismanagement.\u200c The\u200d VA attributed\u2064 the shortfall to an increase \u2062in benefit\u2064 claims stemming\u2064 from the 2022 PACT Act and a ransomware attack on Change Healthcare. However, Rep. Mike \u2063Bost criticized the VA&#8217;s preparedness, suggesting that these claims are merely excuses for a lack of fiscal \u200daccountability and oversight. \u2062He highlighted problems with\u200c the VA&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/congress-must-abandon-its-haphazard-status-quo-of-budgeting-by-crisis\/\" title=\"Congress Must Abandon Its Haphazard Status Quo Of Budgeting By Crisis\u00a0\">budget management<\/a> and ongoing IT projects that have escalated costs significantly, \u200cincluding the Electronic Health \u200cRecords\u2063 Modernization \u2062program, which \u2063remains underutilized.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Veterans Affairs shortfall nearing breaking point nine days before benefits could be affected<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1758673\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/department-of-veterans-affairs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Department of Veterans Affairs<\/a> has just nine days to address a $15 billion <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/budget\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>budget<\/a> shortfall, and failure to close the gap could leave millions of veterans without&nbsp;disability compensation and other benefits.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Since July, Congress has been informed that the VA will see a $3 billion shortfall for the rest of this year and a $12 billion shortfall in its budget for fiscal 2025.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Last Friday, members of the House Appropriations Committee shared a funding plan that would give the VA nearly $3 billion. The bill also includes &ldquo;strong oversight measures to uncover how this massive shortfall occurred and to prevent it from happening again.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>If Congress does not approve the funding for the rest of this year, more than 5 million veterans could lose their benefits, which could lead to a partial government shutdown.<\/p>\n<p>According to Jim Whaley, a retired Army lieutenant colonel, Congress must work fast to close the shortfall and put in safeguards to ensure this does not happen again.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a lot of families that are at stake here,&rdquo; Whaley told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;Their health is at stake. Livelihoods are at stake, and so this is an important issue that needs to be fixed, and then, not only fixed, but make sure we put the process together so that this doesn&rsquo;t happen every year. And people need to be held accountable for bad decisions and accountable for any mismanagement that may have occurred.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Whaley is also the CEO of <a href=\"https:\/\/missionrollcall.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Mission Roll Call<\/a>, a national veteran nonprofit organization.<\/p>\n<p>The VA has pointed to the influx of benefit claims due to the 2022 PACT Act and a ransomware attack on Change Healthcare for the shortfall.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>However, Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL), chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, said the VA should have been prepared for the changes that would come with the PACT Act and that the ransomware attack is just a &ldquo;convenient excuse.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The lack of VA accountability is happening as VA has completely lost control of its budget and has IT projects ballooning by tens of billions of dollars,&rdquo; Bost said during a hearing. &ldquo;That includes the Digital G.I. Bill, Financial Management Business Transformation, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-federal-government-is-tracking-the-unvaccinated\/\" title=\"The Federal Government Is Tracking the Unvaccinated\">electronic health record system<\/a>.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The VA&rsquo;s Electronic Health Records Modernization program, which manages all the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-house-releases-list-of-president-trumps-accomplishments-and-it-is-historic\/\" title=\"White House Releases List of President Trump\u2019s Accomplishments \u2013  And It Is Historic!\">health records<\/a> of veterans, is partnered with Oracle Cerner and reportedly deployed to be used at just six out of 160 sites.<\/p>\n<p>It has a budget of $16 billion, but an audit conducted in 2022 reveals it actually exceeds $50 billion each year.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This is a mistake that for 10 years money has been poured into, and you literally have less than 4 percent of the whole system on Cerner now, and its interoperability with other large systems is paltry,&rdquo; Rep. Greg Murphy, (R-NC) said. &ldquo;This is a huge problem, and why will the VA not recognize they screwed up 10 years ago and fix it today? It will cost an outlay of money, but it will actually deliver care to veterans that need it.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vaoig.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/reports\/2024-08\/vaoig-23-01252-175.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>report<\/a> by the VA Office of Inspector General also found that poor planning by the Veterans Benefits Administration in its rollout of information technology modernization actually led to double the original contract cost.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a number of great employees at the VA that are trying every day to make lives better for veterans, but it&rsquo;s clearly a mismanagement at some level when you&rsquo;re off this amount of money,&rdquo; Whaley said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1758673\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1758673\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Department of Veterans Affairs is facing a critical $15 billion budget shortfall with only nine days left to resolve the issue, which could jeopardize disability compensation and other benefits for millions of veterans. Since July, Congress has been made aware that the VA anticipates a $3 billion deficit for the remainder of this year and an additional $12 billion shortfall in its fiscal 2025 budget. Recently, members of the House Appropriations Committee proposed a funding plan that would allocate nearly $3 billion to the VA, along with stringent oversight measures aimed at uncovering how this significant shortfall occurred and preventing future occurrences. If Congress fails to approve this funding soon, over 5 million veterans risk losing their benefits, potentially leading to a partial government shutdown. Retired Army lieutenant colonel Jim Whaley emphasized the urgency for Congress to act quickly not only to address the current deficit but also to implement safeguards against similar issues in the future. He highlighted that many families depend on these benefits for their health and livelihoods. Whaley is also CEO of Mission Roll Call, a national nonprofit organization supporting veterans.<\/p>\n<p>The VA attributes its financial troubles partly to an increase in benefit claims following the 2022 PACT Act and a ransomware attack on Change Healthcare; however, Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL), chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, criticized these explanations as insufficient and suggested that better preparation was needed for changes stemming from the PACT Act. He pointed out ongoing issues with VA budget management and escalating costs associated with IT projects like Digital G.I. Bill initiatives and electronic health record systems.<\/p>\n<p>The Electronic Health Records Modernization program has faced significant challenges; despite having a budget exceeding $16 billion annually, audits indicate actual costs may surpass $50 billion each year while being operational at only six out of 160 planned sites using Oracle Cerner technology.<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Greg Murphy (R-NC) expressed frustration over long-standing mismanagement within VA projects that have resulted in excessive spending without delivering effective care solutions for veterans who need them most.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, findings from a report by the VA Office of Inspector General revealed poor planning during IT modernization efforts led to contract costs doubling compared to initial estimates. While acknowledging dedicated employees within VA striving to improve veteran lives daily, Whaley noted clear mismanagement contributing significantly to these financial discrepancies<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2542,"featured_media":2339936,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/iStock-1166132888-1024x683.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4848,4133,25005,38534,32076],"class_list":["post-2339935","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-benefits","tag-news","tag-shortfall","tag-veterans-affairs","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/iStock-1166132888-1024x683.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2339935","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2542"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2339935"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2339935\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2339936"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2339935"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2339935"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2339935"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}