More Than 300,000 New Veterans Joined VA Health Care This Year. That Is What Trust Earned Back Looks Like
On Oct. 21, the VA reported more than 300,000 new enrollees in 2026 and 1.8 million appointments for them, on top of a record 3.11 million claims processed in fiscal 2026. In our view, President Trump's VA reforms are delivering, and the job now is to keep the waits falling.
By Clara Hughes
ALTAS WORLD NEWS OPINION | By Clara Hughes, Chief Opinion Editor | October 22, 2026 | 6-min read Veterans vote with their feet. When the VA works, they show up. When it does not, they stay away and pay out of pocket, or go without. On Wednesday the Department of Veterans Affairs reported that more than 300,000 new veterans have enrolled in VA health care so far in 2026 [1]. In our view, that number is the clearest sign yet that President Trump's VA reforms are earning back the trust of the men and women who served. Key Takeaways More than 300,000 new veterans have enrolled in VA health care in 2026, the department says [1]. Veterans who joined this year have completed or scheduled more than 1.8 million medical appointments, including more than 420,000 mental health appointments and more than 16,000 emergency care visits [1]. VA processed a record 3,111,399 disability compensation claims in fiscal 2026, topping the prior record of 3,001,734 set in fiscal 2025 [2]. VA says its benefits backlog is down more than 70% since Jan. 20, 2025, and average claims processing time is down 46%