Mission Roll Call Surveys Show Continued Support for Community Care

Not long after the new administration was sworn in earlier this year, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) began making significant cuts to both personnel and spending. Driven in large part by the administration’s goal of reducing federal spending, and in concert with the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) efforts elsewhere in government, the VA laid off 2400 workers in positions deemed non-mission critical and proposed cutting up to $2 billion in spending on duplicative and unnecessary contracts. 

Veterans and advocacy groups expressed concern, as these cuts were announced without a corresponding information campaign to explain the overall goal. Of specific concern was a gap in understanding how the VA intended to continue to deliver the health care and benefits so many veterans rely on day to day with fewer personnel. 

Here at Mission Roll Call, we are of two minds on this topic. On the one hand, we recognize the importance of a VA that is funded and staffed to meet the requirements of the modern veteran population. On the other hand, there is a larger fiscal consideration at play as evidenced by the nation’s growing debt and deficit problem. 

One of our stocks in trade is gathering information directly from veterans through polling and communicating the results to decision-makers across government and non-profits to better inform these discussions. We believe that our personal beliefs are immaterial relative to overall wishes of veterans, and we endeavor to inform our positions through polling and direct engagement with the veteran community. In March, and with the cooperation of a long list of our partners in the VSO space, Mission Roll Call commissioned the 2025 VA Cuts & Services Survey. Our goal was to step beyond our own assumptions and gather ground truth from the veteran population, so we in turn can amplify those voices and contribute to the ongoing debate surrounding this topic. 

To date, we have nearly 2,000 responses from all 50 states, and 95% of respondents are either a veteran or a family member of a veteran. Here, we share the results and include some analysis and commentary based on discussions we have held with veterans, the VA, Congress, and other VSO’s on these subjects. 

64% of respondents are concerned or strongly concerned that recent or upcoming job cuts at the VA will impact care or services received from the VA. 

This response was not surprising in and of itself, and we applaud VA Secretary Collins’ numerous public efforts communicating to the veteran community the intent and thought processes behind these cuts. These efforts include Secretary Collins’ appearance on The Shawn Ryan Show in early April, as well as numerous videos and interviews available across the web. 

Owing to the politically charged atmosphere in Washington, one must consider how much of the concern noted in this survey question are a direct result of the messaging in the partisan back-and-forth surrounding DOGE and other administration efforts. Far from throwing oil on tempestuous seas, this discourse is making it difficult for veterans to understand the true intent and impact of these measures. 

55% of Respondents Do Not Support Cuts at the VA 

As with the prior question, this response was not surprising given the lack of information that preceded the introduction of cuts. In the comment section of our survey, many veterans expressed concerns that these cuts would directly impact their access to care and benefits. Secretary Collins has repeatedly sought to bring clarity to this effort and counter these claims, noting that the VA is seeking efficiency in delivering services and that no veteran should see any reduction or loss of efficacy in receiving care and benefits.  

Combined, these results are also reflected within the general level of stress veterans are experiencing surrounding these cuts:  

Based on our review of the data, the impact on veterans’ well-being is similarly tied to the unknown, whether that be a concern that the quality and timeliness of access to benefits and services will be negatively impacted or a general sentiment that there isn’t enough information being shared to understand the impact and approach behind these cuts. Mission Roll Call intends to re-run these survey questions over the upcoming months to capture the pulse of veterans and determine whether the VA’s efforts at communicating the intent and goals of these cuts is achieving the desired impact within the veteran community. 

Our survey also included questions of relevance to the veteran community as a new administration takes over in Washington.  

66% of Respondents Support Greater Community Care Options 

Community Care is a lightning rod issue in Washington, falling along partisan lines. On the one hand, many veterans struggle to access VA care for various reasons, from lack of a specialist in their local area, to excessive travel times, to lengthy wait times. Generally speaking, community care efforts are intended to empower the veteran to be their own best advocate in what care makes the most sense for them. 

On the other hand, a formidable group of lawmakers and some VSO’s are concerned that community care is akin to privatizing the VA, and risks removing the VA’s oversight role in delivering the best care possible for veterans. 

Our interactions with veterans through our polling and discussions informs our position that there is no one-size-fits-all solution within the community care debate. Many veterans are perfectly happy with the care and services the VA provides; many others are extremely dissatisfied with the VA, often for reasons connected to lack of timeliness, options, or flexibility. 

Mission Roll Call supports increasing community care options for veterans because that’s what veterans are asking for to solve the issues they face every day. 

Broad Support Among Veterans for Some Novel Treatments 

As seen in the poll results below, in general the respondents to our survey support the inclusion of novel treatments for ailments. Mission Roll Call is working with several partners to introduce initiatives to help veterans where the research and results support it. Highlighting just one issue below, the studies on Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy are promising and merit further support from Congress and the VA.