Trump’s VA Reforms Are Working. Now Finish the Job.

Since President Donald Trump returned to office, his administration has continued advancing reforms that have strengthened performance across the Department of Veterans Affairs. The VA has reduced the disability claims backlog by roughly 70%, opened 35 new health care facilities, completed more than 82 million appointments in fiscal year 2025, and permanently housed more than 51,000 homeless veterans. Hospital quality has improved as well: 77% of VA hospitals earned four- or five-star ratings in 2025, and more than 90% maintained or improved their previous rating.

These accomplishments demonstrate that accountability and focused leadership can deliver real results for America’s veterans.

The administration’s success also makes clear where its attention should turn next. While the overwhelming majority of VA medical centers now earn high marks for quality and patient care, recent oversight shows that important challenges remain.

A 2026 Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General audit found that 51% of VA consults and 49% of community care consults failed to meet timeliness standards for veterans’ care.

In a separate 2026 review of 15 VA medical facilities, the Office of Inspector General found that 13 lacked the data needed to determine whether veterans were receiving timely specialty care. These findings demonstrate that, despite meaningful progress, too many veterans still face unnecessary barriers to timely treatment. Veterans who rely on these facilities should not receive a different standard of care simply because of their ZIP codes.

The administration has already demonstrated that accountability, investment, and strong leadership can transform the VA. Now, those same principles should be applied with equal urgency to the remaining areas where veterans continue to face unacceptable delays and inconsistent care.

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For veterans served by these facilities, performance is far more than a metric—it shapes the quality of care they receive every day. One of those impacted is Nathan Edwards, a Marine Corps veteran with a 100% service-connected disability whose experiences at the Memphis VA Medical Center illustrate why the administration’s work is not yet complete.

After suffering a seizure, Edwards waited more than a month for an appointment with a neurologist. When he was finally seen, the visit lasted only about 10 minutes—hardly enough time to address the concerns of a veteran living with complex, service-connected disabilities.

His frustrations did not end there. Despite relying on the VA for his health care, Edwards never met the primary care physician assigned to him before the physician retired. Nearly three months later, he is still waiting to be assigned a new one.

What should have been a system of coordinated care became, in Edwards’ words, a “bureaucratic nightmare.”

Existing authorities under the MISSION Act allow eligible veterans to receive care from community providers, but those options must be consistently communicated and implemented when VA cannot meet veterans’ needs.

Edwards’ experience is a reminder that the administration’s work is not yet complete. The reforms that have improved VA hospitals nationwide should become the standard at every VA medical center, ensuring that veterans from Memphis to Phoenix to Washington, D.C., receive the same high-quality care that has become the benchmark across most of the VA system.

The path forward is already well established. The administration should continue relying on transparent performance measures to identify struggling medical centers, hold leadership accountable for measurable improvements, and fully implement the MISSION Act when VA facilities cannot provide timely care.

When the VA has confronted underperforming medical centers, it has relied on a structured improvement strategy rather than broad promises of reform. The department has placed struggling facilities under enhanced national oversight, conducted comprehensive operational assessments, deployed specialized improvement teams, and required facility-specific action plans with measurable performance benchmarks for improvement. In cases where meaningful progress failed to materialize, VA leadership has retained the authority to replace hospital executives.

The Trump administration has already done much to improve veterans’ health care on a national scale. The next step is ensuring that every VA medical center still facing persistent performance challenges fully implements these proven strategies. Veterans like Nathan Edwards should not have to wait for reforms that have already improved care across much of the VA system.

The progress made across the VA over the past two years demonstrates that meaningful reform is possible. Veterans are seeing shorter claims backlogs, expanded access to care, and stronger hospital performance because leadership has prioritized accountability and measurable results.

Veterans like Nathan Edwards answered the nation’s call without hesitation. They should never have to wonder whether the care they receive depends on the hospital to which they are assigned. The Trump administration has already shown that focused leadership and proven reforms can transform the VA. Now, it has the opportunity to ensure that those reforms are fully implemented at every remaining underperforming medical center.

Completing that mission would not only strengthen the VA—it would reaffirm a simple promise to every man and woman who served: No veteran will be left behind.