Speaking at the Military Influencer Conference in Tampa, Florida, Collins questioned whether the department’s traditional focus on appointment wait times adequately reflects veterans’ experiences. According to Newsweek, his remarks suggest that treatment quality and patient outcomes could receive greater attention as the VA evaluates its health care system.
Record Appointments Highlight the Scale of VA Health Care Expansion
The VA has significantly increased the number of appointments delivered through both government facilities and private health care providers. According to department figures, the agency completed 59,989,662 community care appointments during fiscal year 2025, representing a 12 percent increase over the previous year.
Community care allows eligible veterans to receive treatment from private providers at VA expense, particularly when services are unavailable or cannot be delivered within established access standards. Meanwhile, the department recorded 82,083,918 appointments at VA medical facilities during the same fiscal year, an increase of 4.1 percent from fiscal 2024.
The administration has also expanded appointment availability beyond traditional operating hours. According to the VA, veterans have been offered more than 3 million evening and weekend appointments, alongside additional medical facilities opened since January 2025. Administrative improvements have accompanied these changes.
The VA reported processing more than 3 million disability claims during fiscal year 2026 before the fiscal year ended. Average processing times declined from 141.5 days on January 20, 2025, to 75.6 days in September, while the department reported an accuracy rate of 94 percent. These figures indicate substantial activity across the system. They do not, by themselves, establish whether veterans are receiving more effective medical treatment.
As financial expert Michael Ryan told Newsweek, expanding community care can provide veterans with greater choice and potentially closer treatment options when VA facilities cannot accommodate their needs promptly.
Why Treatment Quality Is Becoming a Central Concern
The emphasis on waiting periods has deep historical roots. In 2014, investigations uncovered manipulated scheduling records at certain VA facilities, exposing serious problems with veterans’ access to medical appointments. The controversy prompted legislative reforms, including the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act and the VA MISSION Act, which expanded access to private-sector care.
Yet measuring how quickly an appointment is scheduled captures only part of the patient experience. An August investigation by the VA Office of Inspector General found that approximately 80 percent of community care mental health appointments met the department’s 30-day timeliness standard.
The same investigation identified persistent scheduling weaknesses. Only five VA medical systems met the agency’s seven-day target for scheduling mental health referrals. These findings illustrate why access statistics and treatment performance require separate scrutiny, particularly for veterans seeking mental health services.
Collins has not announced a specific new benefits program or detailed replacement for existing performance measures. For now, the administration’s stated direction is to assess care beyond appointment volume and speed. The unresolved question is whether expanded access translates into timely, coordinated treatment and better health outcomes for veterans.
