The Department of Veterans Affairs has completely eliminated the backlog of CHAMPVA applications, ending years of delays that left thousands of Veteran spouses, dependents, survivors, and caregivers waiting for health care coverage, and ushering in what VA leaders say is a new era of faster, more efficient access for Veteran families.
“We listened, and now the application backlog that caused so many unnecessary delays has been wiped out,” VA Secretary Doug Collins told Military.com in a statement.
The Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) currently provides health care coverage to more than 900,000 qualifying beneficiaries. When President Trump took office in January, the program had a backlog of more than 70,000 unprocessed applications, with some families waiting over 150 days for action during the previous administration.
According to the department, the backlog was reduced to zero as of October, and new applications are now being processed in just a handful of days. The VA currently receives about 4,000 new CHAMPVA applications per week, but can now process more than it takes in — a significant change from earlier years.
The VA also announced sharp progress in reducing appeals related to CHAMPVA. Under the prior administration, appeals waiting for review exceeded 20,000. That number has now dropped to 1,000, with officials saying the figure is rapidly decreasing.
How VA Cleared the Backlog
Secretary Collins credited the gains to an aggressive two-step strategy launched immediately upon taking office:
- Providing overtime pay to CHAMPVA processors to surge through the existing backlog.
- Implementing process engineering and automation to sustain faster processing long term.
The department says these reforms ended the bottleneck and have prevented new backlogs from forming, giving Veteran families “faster, more reliable access to health care coverage.”
A larger automation shift is coming next month. In December, VA will complete its transition to a more automated application processing system, which leaders say will significantly boost efficiency and reduce manual workload. The VA notes that over 90% of medical services and pharmacy claims are already processed electronically and paid within days.
Part of a Broader Reform Push
VA leaders framed the CHAMPVA milestone as part of a wider effort by the Trump Administration to overhaul and modernize the department following what they describe as worsening conditions under the Biden Administration.
As Secretary Collins put it:
“Veterans around the country knew it was taking far too long to process CHAMPVA applications, and that meant delayed coverage for their loved ones. Those days are over.”
According to the VA:
- 20 new health care clinics have opened nationwide since January 20.
- VA wait times, which increased in five of six major categories under Biden, are now improving in four of six areas.
- The benefits backlog, which rose 24% under Biden, is now down 45%.
- The department is investing $800 million in infrastructure improvements, funded by savings from VA reform efforts.
- Since January 20, VA has offered Veterans nearly 1 million appointments outside normal business hours to improve access.
- VA has expanded access to community care, making it faster for enrolled Veterans to see non-VA providers at VA expense.
- Major reforms have been implemented to make it easier for survivors to receive benefits, following documented issues in the prior administration.
- VA is processing record numbers of disability claims, hitting an all-time one-year high of 2.52 million ratings claims on Aug. 8 for Fiscal Year 2025.
- The President’s FY26 budget request would add billions in funding to support expanded care and modernization efforts.
What It Means for Veteran Families
For CHAMPVA families — especially spouses and survivors — the elimination of the application backlog marks one of the most significant access improvements in years. Faster processing means faster eligibility decisions, quicker access to covered care, and fewer families forced to wait months without coverage.
The VA says it is committed to sustaining the gains with automation, better workflow, and ongoing process reform, ensuring that the backlog “never returns.”
