More veterans were cared for in 2024 than ever before, reporting more than 127.5 million healthcare appointments, representing a 6% increase over last year’s record, and $187 billion in benefits, according to a statement from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).1
In a prepared statement, VA officials credited an aggressive outreach campaign following the PACT Act, which helped to encourage more than 796,000 to enroll in VA healthcare since the PACT Act was signed into law — a nearly 37% increase over the previous equivalent period. The PACT Act, signed into law on March 5, 2024, expands VA healthcare and benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances. The VA now has more female veterans in its system than ever before, with 52,130 women enrolling in 2024.
Discussing specific types of care, the statement noted that VA dental clinics provided more than 6 million procedures to more than 630,000 veterans, and through community care, VA delivered an additional 3.4 million procedures to more than 330,000 veterans.
About 519,000 spouses and dependents received survivor benefits last year, which represented a 4.5% increase over last year’s record and totaling an estimated $10.6 billion in earned benefits; VA provided services, resources, and assistance expanded to a record 88,095 veteran family caregivers, representing an 18.6% increase over last year’s record.
Other types of benefits the VA touted included expanded life insurance and legacy memorials, with about 10 million of the nation’s heroes now having individual commemorative pages in the Veterans Legacy Memorial, which is a digital platform dedicated to the memory of Veterans and service members.
Reference
- Veterans Affairs. VA delivered all-time record care and benefits to veterans in fiscal year 2024. Press release. Published October 29, 2024. Accessed November 18, 2024. https://news.va.gov/press-room/va-delivered-all-time-record-care-and-benefits-to-veterans-in-fiscal-year-2024/