VA Launches Equity Action Plan to Enhance Fairness in Veteran Services

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently released its 2024 Agency Equity Action Plan, emphasizing its commitment to providing equitable, world-class care and benefits to all veterans. This release aligns with the Biden-Harris Administration’s equity agenda and follows a new study by the VA, which examined racial disparities in disability compensation grant rates for mental health conditions. The findings show that Black veterans applying through VA-accredited service organizations within the first year of leaving the military do as well or better in grant rates compared to other veterans. However, overall grant rates for Black veterans for mental health conditions remain lower.

In response, the VA plans to enhance its Transition Assistance Program and conduct direct outreach, particularly to Black veterans, to improve their access to benefits. The Equity Action Plan includes initiatives to expand care for women veterans, support for LGBTQ+ veterans, and enhanced services for American Indian and Alaska Native veterans. The plan also introduces measures to eliminate disparities in veteran benefits, such as increasing the recruitment of culturally competent providers and updating the VA’s mission statement to be more inclusive.

This comprehensive approach reflects the VA’s ongoing efforts to address equity and improve outcomes across all veteran groups, ensuring that all veterans receive the care and benefits they have earned.