Summary
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reported that veterans' trust in its services has reached the highest level ever recorded. According to a survey, 82 percent of veterans who used VA services in early 2026 trusted the department. The rise in trust is linked to increased use of VA services like health care, disability benefits, and education programs.
Key Facts
- 82% of veterans trust the VA as of early 2026, the highest since tracking began.
- Trust in VA outpatient health care also reached a new high, at 93.6%.
- Rising trust appears to encourage more veterans to enroll in VA services.
- Historically, in 2016, only 55% of veterans trusted the VA.
- New survey showed high satisfaction with ease of accessing services.
- Despite trust increases, VA faces scrutiny over past veteran suicides at its facilities.
- Veteran suicide rates are about 1.5 times higher than the general U.S. population.
- The VA uses digital surveys to gather veterans' feedback on services.
