Claude Da Costa 
Veteran’s Health Care 
Elements and Analyses

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA), within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), operates the nation’s largest integrated direct health care delivery system, provides care to more than 5.5 million unique veteran patients, and employs more than 258, 000 full-time equivalent employees. While Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) are also publicly funded programs, most health care services under these programs are delivered by private providers in private facilities. In contrast, the VA health care system could be categorized as a veteran-specific national health care system, in the sense that the federal government owns the medical facilities and employs the health care providers. This book provides an analysis of veterans health care with a focus on frequently asked questions; basic eligibility for veterans’ benefits; health care for survivors and dependents of veterans; FY2013 appropriations; and weaknesses in policies and oversight governing medical supplies.