Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service.
Abstract
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides benefits to veterans who
meet certain eligibility rules. Benefits to veterans range from disability compensation
and pensions to hospital and medical care. VA provides these benefits to veterans
through three major operating units: the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the
Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) and the National Cemetery Administration
(NCA). VHA is primarily a direct service provider of primary care, specialized care,
and related medical and social support services to veterans through an integrated
health care system. Veterans are enrolled in priority groups that determine payments
for service and nonservice-connected medical conditions. In FY2004, Congress
appropriated $28.4 billion for VHA to be spent through an account structure
composed of four new accounts: medical services, medical administration, medical
facilities, and medical and prosthetic research
