Department of Veterans Affairs
VA · FY2017–FY2026 budget trends
Provides healthcare, disability benefits, education assistance, and home loan guarantees to military veterans. Operates the nation's largest integrated healthcare system with over 1,200 facilities and spends $78 billion in contracts, much of it on healthcare services and IT modernization.
💰 Taxpayer Accountability
The VA's electronic health records overhaul alone has cost billions more than projected, with persistent delays and functionality issues. While veterans deserve first-rate care, the VA's track record of bureaucratic dysfunction — from appointment wait-time scandals to IT boondoggles — suggests that simply spending more money isn't the answer.
Budget Authority (FY2026)
$517.8B
Total Contracts
$78.3B
Total Grants
$3.1B
Budget Growth (FY17→25)
+41.7%
+$84.8B
Contracts vs Grants
Budget Trend
Year-over-Year Changes
| FY | Budget | YoY | Obligated | YoY | Outlays | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $213.7B | — | $191.7B | — | $188.5B | — |
| 2018 | $229.9B | +7.6% | $204.8B | +6.8% | $191.4B | +1.5% |
| 2019 | $237.8B | +3.5% | $216.8B | +5.8% | $215.1B | +12.4% |
| 2020 | $266.3B | +12.0% | $244.6B | +12.8% | $233.8B | +8.7% |
| 2021 | $306.3B | +15.0% | $256.9B | +5.0% | $250.6B | +7.1% |
| 2022 | $336.1B | +9.7% | $283.5B | +10.3% | $288.3B | +15.1% |
| 2023 | $377.4B | +12.3% | $324.4B | +14.4% | $317.6B | +10.2% |
| 2024 | $405.8B | +7.5% | $367.9B | +13.4% | $348.0B | +9.6% |
| 2025 | $458.8B | +13.0% | $412.4B | +12.1% | $404.9B | +16.4% |
| 2026 | $517.8B | +12.9% | $118.7B | -71.2% | $117.6B | -71.0% |
How This Agency's Growth Compares
Department of Veterans Affairs grew +41.7% from FY2017 to FY2025 — #12 growing of 18 major agencies.
| # | Agency | Growth % | Growth $ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Department of Energy | +154.4% | +$49.4B |
| 2 | Department of Homeland Security | +153.1% | +$44.4B |
| 3 | General Services Administration | +107.7% | +$12.9B |
| 4 | Department of Transportation | +97.4% | +$66.5B |
| 5 | Department of the Interior | +90.5% | +$8.8B |
| 6 | Department of State | +84.0% | +$16.2B |
| 7 | Department of Health and Human Services | +66.7% | +$809.9B |
| 8 | Social Security Administration | +64.9% | +$643.6B |
| 9 | Department of Defense | +52.8% | +$173.1B |
| 10 | Department of Agriculture | +49.9% | +$61.7B |
| 11 | Department of Housing and Urban Development | +43.8% | +$23.7B |
| 12 | → Department of Veterans Affairs | +41.7% | +$84.8B |
| 13 | Department of Education | +28.1% | +$21.1B |
| 14 | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | +24.4% | +$4.5B |
| 15 | Railroad Retirement Board | +15.1% | +$1.9B |
| 16 | Department of Labor | +10.1% | +$1.1B |
| 17 | Department of Justice | -2.5% | -$292.0M |
| 18 | Agency for International Development | -26.6% | -$4.4B |
Top Contractors
| # | Contractor | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Optum Public Sector Solutions, Inc. | $22.5B |
| 2 | Mckesson Corporation | $11.5B |
| 3 | Triwest Healthcare Alliance Corp. | $9.8B |
| 4 | Qtc Medical Services Inc. | $2.8B |
| 5 | Optumserve Health Services, Inc. | $2.5B |
| 6 | Veterans Evaluation Services, Inc. | $2.0B |
| 7 | Oracle Health Government Services, Inc. | $1.0B |
| 8 | Loyal Source Government Services LLC | $759.5M |
| 9 | Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. | $680.8M |
| 10 | Fresenius Medical Care Holdings Inc. | $634.8M |
| 11 | Dell Federal Systems L.p | $576.5M |
| 12 | Davita Inc. | $533.6M |
| 13 | Medline Industries, LP | $498.9M |
| 14 | V3gate, LLC | $438.9M |
| 15 | At&t Enterprises, LLC | $414.2M |
| 16 | Fedex Supply Chain Distribution System, Inc. | $381.3M |
| 17 | Four Points Technology, L.l.c. | $276.1M |
| 18 | Sonova USA Inc. | $273.4M |
| 19 | Deloitte Consulting LLP | $261.4M |
| 20 | Optumrx Administrative Services, LLC | $247.7M |
Related Pages
Budget Functions
How federal spending is categorized by purpose and function.
Read more →Top Contractors
Which companies receive the most federal contract dollars.
Read more →Spending Explosion
How federal spending has grown dramatically since 2017.
Read more →Sub-Agencies
Detailed spending by sub-agencies and bureaus.
Read more →Source: USASpending.gov · U.S. Department of the Treasury