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Time of India
08-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Mass layoffs at Veteran Affairs dept soon? Thousands of jobs to be shed by end of this fiscal year
Live Events VA to cut nearly 30,000 jobs (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The Department of Veteran Affairs has taken a U-turn and has dropped plans to lay off tens of thousands of personnel in August, a news release from the department indicated Monday. It announced on Monday it is walking back plans for mass layoffs at the agency but says it will still shed tens of thousands of jobs by the end of fiscal year 2025, reports CNN. A reduction of 30,000 employees constitutes about 6.2% of the VA's workforce, based on 484,000 total VA employees as of January 1, VA is scrapping those plans for now, but it is on pace to reduce the total number of staffers by nearly 30,000, 'through the federal hiring freeze, deferred resignations, retirements and normal attrition,' the agency said in a news release, adding that those cuts will eliminate 'the need for a large-scale reduction-in-force.'It was reported in March that VA leadership outlined a plan to shed more than 76,000 workers as part of the Trump administration's widespread efforts to reduce the federal workforce. The department originally planned to reduce its staff to 2019 levels, or just under 400, VA said in its release that it had "roughly 484,000 employees on Jan. 1, 2025" — meaning the initial plans would have required the VA to cut upwards of 80,000 for next year, VA press secretary Peter Kasperowicz said, 'VA is not planning to make any other major changes to staffing levels beyond those outlined in the release.'The release insists the reductions 'do not impact Veteran care or benefits.' 'All mission-critical positions are exempt' from the deferred resignations and voluntary early retirements, the agency said.'A department-wide RIF is off the table, but that doesn't mean we're done improving VA. Our review has resulted in a host of new ideas for better serving Veterans that we will continue to pursue,' Collins said in the US Veteran Affairs Department will make two-thirds fewer employee cuts this fiscal year than it first targeted. This means it will reduce staff by about 30,000 rather than 80,000, the agency said, reported news agency the start of the Trump administration, the agency employed about around 4,80,000 and it and expects to end the fiscal year in September with nearly 450,000 staff. Under President Donald Trump's program to downsize the federal government, the agency had planned to reach just under 400,000 employees which attracted widespread condemnation from military veteran groups and agency said in a statement it was on pace to reduce its staff "through the federal hiring freeze, deferred resignations, retirements and normal attrition." It did not say why it no longer needed to make further initial layoff plan was significantly larger than job cuts proposed at other federal agencies — a move that could have backfired politically for Trump, who brands himself as a staunch defender of the U.S. military and veterans. Between January and June, the Department of Veterans Affairs cut nearly 17,000 positions, and it expects nearly 12,000 more employees to leave by September 30, according to the agency.'A department-wide reduction in force is off the table — but that doesn't mean we're done improving the VA,' said VA Secretary Doug Collins in a statement. As of March, nearly 9 million veterans were enrolled in the VA Health Care System.A spokesperson for the VA said in a statement Monday that it spent "nearly four months conducting a holistic review of the department to see what needs to be changed." The department claimed that in recent months, the VA has improved services for veterans, citing "huge drops in the number of Veterans waiting for disability benefits, sizeable increases in claims processing productivity, and extraordinary progress regarding our electronic health record modernization."The spokesperson said the original number of 80,000 staff cuts "got employees thinking outside of the box to come up with new and better ways of serving Veterans," and the "main goal all along has been creating the best possible experiences and outcomes" for veterans and their families.
CNN
07-07-2025
- Business
- CNN
VA walks back plans for mass layoffs but will still lose tens of thousands of jobs
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced Monday it is walking back plans for mass layoffs at the agency but says it will still shed tens of thousands of jobs by the end of fiscal year 2025. VA Secretary Doug Collins previously said the agency had the goal of laying off roughly 80,000 employees from a total staff of about 470,000 that was in place this summer, which would have amounted to about 15% of its workforce. The VA is scrapping those plans for now, but it is on pace to reduce the total number of staffers by nearly 30,000, 'through the federal hiring freeze, deferred resignations, retirements and normal attrition,' the agency said in a news release, adding that those cuts will eliminate 'the need for a large-scale reduction-in-force.' Some employees have already departed through those channels. The VA says it had roughly 484,000 total employees on January 1 and 467,000 employees as of June 1 – a reduction of nearly 17,000 workers. It says between now and September 30, 'the department expects nearly 12,000 additional VA employees to exit through normal attrition, voluntary early retirement authority, or the deferred resignation program.' Sources at the agency and on Capitol Hill previously told CNN the first significant round of layoffs was planned to begin this month, with a second round planned to begin in September. On Monday, VA press secretary Peter Kasperowicz told CNN there is no longer a target of 80,000 cuts. As for next year, Kasperowicz said, 'VA is not planning to make any other major changes to staffing levels beyond those outlined in the release.' The release insists the reductions 'do not impact Veteran care or benefits.' 'All mission-critical positions are exempt' from the deferred resignations and voluntary early retirements, the agency said. CNN has previously reported that some staff who handle administration, billing, and running facilities have already left, leaving doctors and nurses to do those jobs on top of practicing medicine, contributing to sagging morale at some VA facilities, a problem that spans multiple administrations. 'A department-wide RIF is off the table, but that doesn't mean we're done improving VA. Our review has resulted in a host of new ideas for better serving Veterans that we will continue to pursue,' Collins said in the statement. A reduction of 30,000 employees constitutes about 6.2% of the VA's workforce, based on 484,000 total VA employees as of January 1, 2025. Some of the harshest Democratic critics in Congress of the previously planned VA layoffs responded to the latest announcement with scorn. 'This announcement makes clear VA is bleeding employees across the board at an unsustainable rate because of the toxic work environment created by this Administration and DOGE's slash and trash policies,' Sen. Richard Blumenthal, the highest ranking Democrat on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, said in a statement. 'Make no mistake, this is still a reduction in force—except VA has been able to do it without accountability and transparency to veterans and Congress.' House Veterans Affairs Committee ranking member Mark Takano warned that the new staffing reduction plan would still have major impacts. 'The loss of 30,000 VA employees will be catastrophic, and veterans will suffer,' he said in a statement. 'I hope the Secretary is ready to respond to this inevitable disaster.' Across the aisle, one prominent Senate Republican praised Collins' announcement Monday. Sen. Jerry Moran, chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, said in a statement that he had spoken to Collins on Monday morning. Moran said he appreciated the secretary's efforts 'to make certain veterans are at the center of any changes at the VA and ensure the department is focused on providing high-quality health care and benefits to those who have served and their families. This decision provides greater certainty to VA employees and the veterans they serve.'
Time of India
17-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
VA spokesperson issues clarification on bombshell report claiming doctors can refuse treatment to Democrats
A spokesperson for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has denied a report published in the Guardian that Veterans Administration was changing its policies regarding care delivery to veterans in VA Health facilities. The report suggests that US President Donald Trump's executive order can lead to doctors at the VA denying treatment to unmarried veterans and Democrats. Documents obtained by the Guardian show that hospital new rules, based on Trump's January 30 executive order, have already gone into effect at some VA medical centers. The new rule also apply to psychologists, dentists and a host of other occupations, the Guardian report says. However, a VA spokesperson has disputed key facts reported in that article, according to a report in Healthcare Innovation. ALSO READ: VA policy change: US doctors can question veterans whether they attended Trump's rallies before treatment? by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like If You Eat Ginger Everyday for 1 Month This is What Happens Tips and Tricks Undo VA on Guardian report The report says that doctors and medical professionals working for the Department of Veterans Affairs can now refuse to treat Democrats and unmarried veterans. Previously, VA hospital bylaws barred medical staff om discriminating against patients 'on the basis of race, age, color, sex, religion, national origin, politics, marital status or disability in any employment matter. But individual workers are now free to decline to care for patients based on personal characteristics not explicitly prohibited by federal law. However, VA press secretary, Peter Kasperowicz, as not disputing Guardian reporting, stated that 'all eligible veterans will always be welcome at VA and will always receive the benefits and services they've earned under the law.' Live Events In an emailed statement to The Guardian, VA press secretary Peter Kasperowicz did not deny that doctors can refuse to treat patients based on their beliefs or that hospitals could fire physicians based on their marital status or political affiliation. 'All eligible veterans will always be welcome at VA and will always receive the benefits and services they've earned under the law,' he said in a statement, calling the rule changes a mere 'formality.' ALSO READ: American Express hints at a big upgrade to its Platinum Credit card in 'largest investment ever' Macaulay Porter, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs at the Department of Veterans Affairs, asserted as "false" the idea that VA hospitals could refuse to treat unmarried veterans and Democrats, Porter said "federal law prohibits that and VA will always follow federal law". "All eligible Veterans will always be welcome at VA and will always receive the benefits and services they've earned under the law," he said. He also declared false the statement in the Guardian story that doctors and other medical staff could be barred from working at VA hospitals based on their marital status, political party affiliation or union activity stating, 'False: federal law prohibits that, and VA will always follow federal law.' What does the VA policy say? Health care professionals at the Department of Veterans Affairs can now discriminate against Democrats, the Guardian report said, and this is due to Trump's anti-trans executive order. While medical staff are still required to treat patients regardless of race, color, religion, or sex, new rules at the VA have explicitly removed protections based on political party affiliation, martial status, and national origin, The Guardian reported Monday. ALSO READ: New VA policy sparks outrage as doctors may refuse treatment to Democrats and unmarried veterans alike Similarly, health care professionals can now be banned from working at the VA over their political affiliation, marital status, and union membership, according to documents obtained by The Guardian. The new rules apply to a wide range of professionals, including psychologists, dentists, optometrists, chiropractors, certified nurse practitioners, podiatrists, social workers, and speech therapists. It wasn't immediately clear how the VA made the leap to denying patient care and firing doctors over their political affiliations. Under the new rules, doctors could question veterans about whether they had attended Trump rallies or protests, experts warned.
The Hill
16-06-2025
- Health
- The Hill
White House denies reporting by Guardian on VA benefits: ‘totally FALSE story'
The Trump administration on Monday denied reporting by The Guardian that said new Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals could refuse care to veterans based on factors like marital status and political affiliation due to an executive order by President Trump. The Guardian earlier Monday published a report saying VA hospitals are implementing new rules in response to Trump's executive order in January, which would permit workers to deny care to veterans based on characteristics not protected by federal law. On the first day of his second term, Trump signed an executive order titled 'Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,' which ordered the federal government to recognize only two biological sexes. According to the documents it obtained, The Guardian reported that 'doctors and other medical staff can also be barred from working at VA hospitals based on their marital status, political party affiliation or union activity.' VA press secretary Peter Kasperowicz, a former politics editor at Fox News Digital, reportedly did not deny that veteran patients could be denied care and physicians could be dismissed based on their marital status or political affiliation when reached by The Guardian. But White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly adamantly denied The Guardian's reporting. Writing on the social media platform X, Kelly addressed the article's writer, Aaron Glantz, saying, 'Aaron, this is a totally FALSE story that The Guardian should retract immediately. Fearmongering with our Veterans to try to score clicks for your failing 'news outlet' is pathetic and shameful.' The VA also responded on X, writing, 'This story is disinformation. All eligible Veterans will always be welcome at VA and will always receive the benefits and services they've earned under the law.' The Hill has reached out to The Guardian for comment. According to those who work with veterans benefits, some hospitals have begun updating their bylaws, but the extent of what effect these changes are having is unclear. According to Kyleanne Hunter, CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, the VA has historically been 'very expansive' in its anti-discrimination policies, which have gone beyond federally protected classes. In response to Trump's executive order earlier this year, some bylaws have 'shrunk' so that anti-discrimination policies only encompass federally protected classes like race, religion and sex. She notes, however, that there don't appear to be any rules that mandate discrimination based on unprotected classes. 'There are over 140 different VA medical centers as hospitals that each have their own set of bylaws that exist. So we don't know how many different hospitals this has actually been changed at,' Hunter told The Hill. 'We're trying right now to really gather the information we can, to see how widespread the changes of bylaws might actually be, as well as to engage and understand how it is actually impacting our veterans,' added Hunter. She lamented that VA employees are getting in the crosshairs of this dispute while they seek to provide care to veterans. 'The VA employees that we have talked to and connected with are personally very, very committed to continue to serve all veterans and are concerned that the way in which this is being discussed will continue to destroy morale among VA employees,' Hunter said.
Economic Times
16-06-2025
- Health
- Economic Times
New VA policy sparks outrage as doctors may refuse treatment to Democrats and unmarried veterans alike
What exactly changed in the VA policy? Live Events Has the VA responded to the backlash? What did the experts say about the policy? Who could lose access to care under these rules? FAQs (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel A new VA policy has sent shockwaves through both veteran communities and the medical community. The change, which follows a Trump-era executive order, has already raised serious ethical and legal concerns.A contentious policy change at the Department of Veterans Affairs allows VA doctors to refuse treatment to veterans based on their political beliefs or marital status. Critics describe it as discriminatory and dentists, and a variety of other professions are also subject to the new regulations. The new regulations have already taken effect in certain VA medical facilities, as per a report by The order "Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government" issued by the president on January 30 is cited by VA officials as the reason for the of race, colour, religion, or sex, medical personnel are still expected to treat veterans, and all veterans still have the right to since federal law does not specifically forbid it, individual employees are now free to refuse to provide patient care due to personal hospitals have the authority to exclude physicians and other medical personnel on the basis of union activity, marital status, or political party affiliation. Impacted are certified clinical social workers, podiatrists, speech therapists, chiropractors, CNPs, and optometrists, as per a document, reported The executive order sought to deny the majority of government protections to transgender individuals. The VA no longer offers the majority of gender-affirming care and has prohibited the use of terms like "gender affirming" and "transgender" in clinical VA press secretary, Peter Kasperowicz, responded to inquiries via email, saying that all eligible veterans will always be welcome at the VA and will always receive the benefits and services they have earned under the he did not dispute that the new rules allowed doctors to refuse to treat veteran patients based on their beliefs or that doctors could be fired based on their political affiliation or marital new regulations were described as "extremely disturbing and unethical" by Dr. Arthur Caplan, the original head of the medical ethics division at New York University's Grossman School of the surface, it appears to be an attempt to exercise political influence over the VA medical staff, he are worried about how new policies will affect their healthcare, especially those who are female, LGBTQ+, or reside in rural see a doctor, some people might have to travel more than a hundred miles, which could have a cascading effect. Because these changes were implemented without consulting the doctors in the system, medical experts are also worried about the under the new rules, VA doctors can refuse care based on factors such as political affiliation or being veterans, LGBTQ+ veterans, and those living in rural areas are expected to be disproportionately affected.
