The White House’s $168.8 billion budget request for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal 2016, which begins Oct. 1 and continues through Sept. 30, 2016, represents a $5.2 billion increase over 2015 spending. Provisions include:
* An additional $60 billion, in addition to $63.3 billion in advance 2017 appropriations, for improvement of access to medical care.
* Enhancements to programs relating to mental health, telehealth, Hepatitis C, women’s health, long-term care, and caregiver benefits.
* Enhancements to programs aimed at speeding up the claims-processing and appeals process and improving accuracy.
* An increase in burial access, with the opening of new national cemeteries and a rural burial ground.
* $1.4 billion for programs to address homelessness.
* $622 million for medical and prosthetic research.