Federal Response to COVID-19: Department of Veterans Affairs

Abstract

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides a range of benefits and services to veterans who meet certain eligibility criteria. These benefits and services include, among other things, hospital and medical care; disability compensation and pensions; education; vocational rehabilitation and employment services; assistance to homeless veterans; home loan guarantees; administration of life insurance, as well as traumatic injury protection insurance for servicemembers; and death benefits that cover burial expenses. The department carries out its programs nationwide through three administrations and the Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA). The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is responsible for healthcare services and medical and prosthetic research programs. The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) is responsible for, among other things, providing disability compensation, pensions, and education assistance. The National Cemetery Administration (NCA) is responsible for maintaining national veterans cemeteries; providing grants to states for establishing, expanding, or improving state veterans cemeteries; and providing headstones and markers for the graves of eligible persons, among other things. In addition to providing health care services to veterans and certain eligible dependents, the VHA must, by statute, serve as a contingency backup to the Department of Defense (DOD) medical system during a national security emergency and provide support to the National Disaster Medical System and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as necessary in response to national crises. The department must also take appropriate actions to ensure VA medical centers are prepared to protect veteran patients and staff during a public health emergency.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 2020
Accession Number
AD1170085

Entities

People

  • Cassandria Dortch
  • Heather M. Salazar
  • Jared S. Sussman
  • Jonathan M. Gaffney
  • Libby Perl
  • Sidath V. Panangala
  • Victoria L. Elliott

Organizations

  • Library of Congress

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Congress
  • Covid-19
  • Delivery Of Health Care
  • Distance Learning
  • Emergency Response
  • Employment
  • Health Services
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Information Systems
  • Law
  • Medical Personnel
  • Personnel Management
  • Public Health
  • Quarantine
  • Social Media
  • Students
  • Viruses

Readers

  • Medical or Health Care Field.
  • Rehabilitation and Prosthetic Care for Military Service Members and Veterans with Limb Loss or Disability.
  • Strategic Security Studies