What Australia Can Learn from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Australia’s commitment to veterans is longstanding, but as the needs of ex-service personnel evolve, so too must the systems that support them. While the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) in Australia continues to develop new programs, there’s value in looking abroad. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)—serving millions of Americans—offers both cautionary tales and best-in-class examples that could inspire improvements at home.

How the U.S. VA Shapes Veteran Care

The U.S. VA is one of the world’s largest integrated healthcare systems, operating more than 1,200 healthcare facilities. In 2025, its budget exceeded USD $320 billion, reflecting the broad scope of services—healthcare, disability compensation, education, home loans, and insurance. Notably, the VA’s digital transformation has accelerated, with telehealth visits now exceeding 20 million annually, a trend that began during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to shape veteran care in 2025.

• Healthcare: The VA’s focus on mental health, traumatic brain injury, and long-term rehabilitation is leading-edge. Their electronic health records system, despite early setbacks, now enables seamless access to veteran medical histories.
• Home Loans: The VA Home Loan Guarantee Program has helped more than 25 million veterans achieve homeownership. Recent updates in 2025 include streamlined digital applications and enhanced protections against predatory lending.
• Education: The Post-9/11 GI Bill continues to support tuition, housing, and books for veterans and their families, with new provisions in 2025 expanding eligibility for online and hybrid education.

Challenges and Lessons for Australia

The VA’s scale brings challenges. In 2023-25, U.S. media reported on processing backlogs and bureaucratic hurdles, especially for disability claims. However, the department has responded with automation and AI-driven case management, reducing average wait times for compensation decisions to under 90 days in 2025—a significant improvement from the past decade.

• Streamlining Claims: The VA’s focus on digital-first applications and AI triage has improved transparency and speed. Australia’s DVA is trialing similar initiatives, but broader adoption could further reduce delays.
• Holistic Support: The VA’s community-based outreach—mobile clinics, peer counseling, and vocational training—offers a template for expanding services beyond metropolitan areas, a challenge familiar to many Australian veterans in regional communities.
• Financial Literacy Programs: The VA partners with financial institutions to deliver workshops and online tools that help veterans manage benefits and plan for retirement. This integrated approach has led to increased uptake of benefits and reduced instances of financial hardship.

Opportunities for Australian Innovation

Australia’s DVA has unique strengths—such as its focus on family support and post-service transition programs—but can draw on U.S. experience in several areas:

• Digital Health: Expanding telehealth and secure health records access, especially for remote veterans.
• Veteran Home Loans: Exploring guarantees or incentives for lenders, modeled on the U.S. VA, to help more veterans enter the property market in a tight 2025 environment.
• Automated Claims Processing: Investing in AI-powered platforms to reduce wait times and improve transparency for all types of claims.

Real-world example: In 2025, a U.S. veteran in rural Montana used the VA’s telehealth system to receive weekly mental health counseling, coordinated seamlessly with prescription delivery and local community outreach. An Australian veteran in the Northern Territory could benefit from a similar integrated approach—especially as rural mental health needs grow.

Conclusion

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is far from perfect, but its innovations in digital health, home loans, and claims processing offer valuable lessons for Australia. As both nations face increasing demand for veteran services in 2025, blending global best practice with local expertise could ensure no veteran is left behind.