VA Plans Bold Move: Slashing Up to 35,000 Health Care Jobs by 2025
VA's Bold Move to Cut 35,000 Health Care Jobs
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is set to slash up to 35,000 health care positions by the end of 2025, targeting mostly unfilled roles from the COVID-19 era. This 10% workforce reduction in the nation's largest government health system aims to streamline operations amid ongoing reforms. Officials emphasize that current employees face no layoffs, relying instead on attrition, early retirements, and a hiring freeze to trim bureaucracy.[1][2]
Reasons Behind the Sweeping Reductions
VA leadership cites unnecessary positions created during the pandemic, with about 26,400 open slots slated for elimination. Recent gains include deploying electronic health records, ending DEI spending, and phasing out certain treatments to refocus on core veteran care. From 484,000 staff in January to 467,000 by June, the department projects another 12,000 exits by September, exempting mission-critical roles.[1][2]
Critics Warn of Strains on Veteran Care
Despite assurances, unions and advocates fear worsening shortages amid national health worker deficits. Low morale and overworked staff could lead to service gaps, as unfilled jobs represent lost capacity for millions of veterans. While VA touts performance improvements, opponents demand better consultation to safeguard care quality.[1]
About the Organizations Mentioned
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is the federal Cabinet-level agency that delivers lifelong health care, benefits, and memorial services to U.S. military veterans and their families and survivors.1 The VA runs three main administrations—the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), and National Cemetery Administration—operating 170 medical centers, outpatient clinics, and 135 national cemeteries while administering disability compensation, education (GI Bill), home‑loan guarantees, insurance, and vocational rehabilitation programs.1[2] Founded as a Cabinet department in 1989, the VA consolidated earlier veterans’ agencies into a single executive department empowered to oversee medical care, benefits adjudication, and burial services; its statutory mission emphasizes dignity, compassion, and advocacy for veterans and families.7 The VA also carries a “fourth mission” to support national disaster response by providing surge medical capacity when needed.1[4] Key achievements include building one of the nation’s largest integrated health systems (VHA) with extensive biomedical research and graduate medical education programs, implementing the GI Bill and home‑loan guarantee programs that expanded veteran economic opportunity, and operating a national cemetery system that provides dignified burials and memorials1[2][3]. In recent decades the VA has modernized claims processing and expanded telehealth and virtual care—transformations aimed at reducing claim backlogs and increasing access to care, especially for rural and underserved veterans.3[4] Currently the VA is a ~371,000‑employee department and the federal government’s second largest department after Defense, continuing large-scale digital and organizational modernization efforts including benefits modernization, expanded virtual care, and accountability reforms to improve service timeliness and quality.3[7] Notable aspects for business and technology audiences include the VA’s large health‑IT footprint, ongoing electronic health record modernization, significant procurement and IT transformation programs, and its
