VA Disability Benefits: Compensation Program Could Be Strengthened by Consistently Following Leading Reform Practices

Summary: In fiscal year 2021, VBA provided over $112 billion in disability compensation to approximately 5.6 million veterans and their families. Over the past decade, VBA has taken steps aimed at improving its disability compensation program. GAO's prior work has shown that effective agency reforms depend on following leading practices, such as establishing outcome-oriented goals. GAO was asked to review VBA's implementation of reforms to improve its disability compensation program. This report identifies reforms VBA has undertaken, examines the extent to which five selected VBA reforms followed leading reform practices, and reviews how VBA has managed the overall set of reforms.