More than a million veterans left without primary care providers because of VA staffing losses, watchdog warns

The report, released by Democratic staff on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, finds the staffing decline has left an estimated 1.2 million veterans without primary care providers, pushed mental health wait times beyond legal limits in more than a dozen states and contributed to rising errors in benefits decisions as claims processors are pressured to prioritize speed over accuracy.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), the committee’s ranking Democrat, said the workforce losses mark a historic reversal for the VA and amount to a breach of the government’s obligation to veterans during a press call with reporters on Thursday.

“This is the first year ever that the VA has experienced a net loss of employees,” Blumenthal said. He noted that in a typical year, the department adds