The newest Cabinet department in name only — its work traces back to Revolutionary War-era veteran pensions.
VA administers health care, disability compensation, education benefits, home loans, and burial benefits for veterans and eligible family members. Most people encounter it through VA hospitals, disability claims, or the GI Bill.
To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan.
Abraham Lincoln, VA’s founding motto
What It Does
VA was elevated to Cabinet rank in 1989, but its predecessor, the Veterans Administration, had existed since 1930, consolidating veteran-support functions that trace all the way back to Revolutionary War pension programs. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs oversees health care, benefits, and burial programs for veterans and eligible dependents.
Runs veteran health care
The Veterans Health Administration operates VA hospitals and clinics nationwide.
Administers disability compensation
The Veterans Benefits Administration processes disability claims and pension applications.
Manages education benefits
Administers the GI Bill and other education assistance programs for veterans and dependents.
Oversees burial benefits
The National Cemetery Administration manages veteran burial and memorial services.
How It Fits Into Government
A 1989 elevation of much older functions
Congress elevated the Veterans Administration to full Cabinet-level status in 1989, but the work itself dates back much further — veteran pension programs trace to the earliest years of the republic. Congress writes the eligibility and benefits statutes VA administers, and funds the department’s budget, with health care and disability compensation making up the largest shares.
Major Administrations
Veterans Health Administration
Runs VA hospitals, clinics, and health care programs.
- VA hospitals
- Mental health services
- Telehealth
Veterans Benefits Administration
Disability compensation, pensions, and education benefits.
- Disability claims
- GI Bill
- Home loan guarantees
National Cemetery Administration
Burial and memorial benefits at national cemeteries.
- Burial eligibility
- Headstones and markers
How It Is Checked
Congress
Writes veteran benefits and eligibility statutes, and funds VA’s budget through annual appropriations.
Courts
The U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims hears appeals of VA benefits decisions.
Public process
Benefits and eligibility rules generally go through notice-and-comment before final adoption.
Inspector General
The VA OIG audits programs and investigates health care quality, benefits fraud, and misconduct.
Public Services Visitors May Need
File a disability claimCompensation claims and appeals process.→
Check GI Bill benefitsEducation benefit eligibility and remaining entitlement.→
Find a national cemeteryBurial eligibility and scheduling.→
VA is older than its Cabinet rank suggests
A common misconception is that VA is a young department because it only reached Cabinet status in 1989 — one of the most recent departments to do so. In practice, its predecessor agency had operated continuously since 1930, and veteran pension programs date back to the Revolutionary War. The 1989 change was an elevation in status, not the creation of a new function.
