Department of Veterans Affairs

Budget, Performance and Financial Snapshot Fiscal Year 2008

Who We Are

Mission: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is charged with providing world-class benefits and health care services to America?s Veterans and their families ? men and women who have responded when their Nation needed help. The Department fulfills President Lincoln?s promise ?To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan.? The Department?s Strategic Plan can be found at http://www1.va.gov/op3/docs/VA_2006_2011_Strategic_Plan.pdf

Organization: The Department?s mission is carried out by three Administrations, the Veterans Health Administration, the Veterans Benefits Administration, and the National Cemetery Administration, as well as numerous functional and management offices. Through its three Administrations, the Department operates the largest direct health care delivery system in America; conducts medical research; and provides disability compensation, pension, education, vocational rehabilitation, housing, insurance, and burial benefits to America?s veterans. http://www.va.gov/ofcadmin/docs/vaorgchart.pdf

Personnel: VA?s workforce of about 250,000 is comprised of 223,000 dedicated to medical care and research, 17,000 delivering benefits, and approximately 9,000 providing management and administrative support. Information about VA jobs can be found at http://www.va.gov/JOBS/index.asp & http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/a9va.asp

Budgetary Resources: FY 2008 obligations were approximately $97.0 billion or $322 per person.


Budget Snapshot

Total Spending FY 2005-2009
Total Outlays
 Mandatory $39,337 $37,446 $37,517 $44,907 $47,581
 Discretionary $30,466 $32,504 $35,288 $41,740 $44,244
Total $69,803 $69,950 $72,805 $86,647 $91,825
$ in millions
Top 5 Programs By Budget
  Top 5 Programs
  Compensation Medical Care Pension Education Vocational Rehab.
2008 $38,067 $36,589 $4,038 $2,775 $767
2009 $39,856 $38,737 $4,176 $2,524 $816
$ in millions

Performance Snapshot

Accomplishments: In FY 2008, the Department treated more than 5.5 million patients; scheduled 98.7 percent of primary care appointments within 30 days of the patient?s desired appointment date; launched the Rural Mobile Health Care Clinics pilot project; developed innovative traumatic brain injury treatment for combat veterans; provided compensation and pension benefits to nearly 3.8 million veterans; provided education benefits to approximately 539,000 students; and provided a burial option to 84.2 percent of veterans within a reasonable distance (75 miles) of their residence.

Challenges: Implement the new GI Bill expanding education benefits for veterans; provide and improve care for veterans returning from a combat zone, particularly those suffering from PTSD; increase access to health care for veterans living in rural areas; improve care for polytrauma vision impairment, prosthetics, spinal cord injury, aging, and women?s health; reduce compensation and pension claims backlog; adopt paperless processing for all claims; provide for a seamless transition from active duty to civilian life; prevent and reduce veteran homelessness; and manage the largest expansion of VA?s national cemetery system since the Civil War.
Financial Snapshot
Clean Opinion on Financial Statements Yes
Timely Financial Reporting Yes Material Weaknesses 3
Improper Payment Rate 1.89% Total Assets $56,914
Total Liabilities $1,498,872 Net Cost of Operations $422,622
$ in millions
  Footnote:1) "Total Spending" reflects outlays exclusive of collections. 2) "Top 5 Programs By Budget" reflects Budget Authority. 3) Both outlays and Budget Authority are based on data published in VA's FY 2009 budget submission. 4) "Budget per Strategic Goal" totals are Budget Authority.

Summary of Department of Veterans Affairs Ratings for Fiscal Year 2008

 
                        FY 2008 Performance
Results per Strategic Goal
  Met/Exceeded     Not met but improved over prior years
  Not met target     Data not yet available
Budget per Strategic Goal
($ in millions)
Strategic Goal: SG1: Restoration and Improved Quality of Life for Disabled Veterans
Restore the capability of veterans with disabilities to the greatest extent possible, and improve the quality of their lives and that of their families.
 
Sample chart
          
2008 Actual = $64,022
Performance Measure(s)* 2006 Results 2007 Results 2008 Target 2008 Results 2009 Target
Rehabilitation Rate 73% 73% 75% 76%   76%
Strategic Goal: SG2: Smooth Transition to Civilian Life
Ensure a smooth transition for veterans from active military service to civilian life.
 
Sample chart
          
2008 Actual = $3,984
Performance Measure(s)* 2006 Results 2007 Results 2008 Target 2008 Results 2009 Target
Average days to complete original education claims 40 32 24 19   24
Strategic Goal: SG3: Honoring, Serving, and Memorializing Veterans
Honor and serve veterans in life and memorialize them in death for their sacrifices on behalf of the Nation.
 
Sample chart
          
2008 Actual = $15,666
Performance Measure(s)* 2006 Results 2007 Results 2008 Target 2008 Results 2009 Target
Percent of primary care appointments scheduled within 30 days of desired date 96 97 97 98.7   97
Strategic Goal: SG4: Contributing to the Nation?s Well-Being
Contribute to the public health, emergency management, socioeconomic well-being, and history of the Nation.
 
Sample chart
          
2008 Actual = $1,539
Performance Measure(s)* 2006 Results 2007 Results 2008 Target 2008 Results 2009 Target
Progress towards development of one new treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder 47% 67% 80% 80%   87%
Strategic Goal: Enabling Goal: Applying Sound Business Principles
Deliver world-class service to veterans and their families through effective communication and management of people, technology, business processes, and financial resources.
 
Sample chart
          
2008 Actual = $5,343
Performance Measure(s)* 2006 Results 2007 Results 2008 Target 2008 Results 2009 Target
Number of material weaknesses identified during the annual independent financial statement audit or separately identified by management 4 4 4 3   2
  * This measure was selected from a number of performance measures aimed at the specific strategic goal