Overall trust in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has reached an all-time high. In the first quarter of fiscal year 2026, 82% of Veterans who used VA services—including health care, benefits, burials and memorials—reported that they trust VA to fulfill the nation’s commitment to them.

Additionally, trust in VA outpatient health care is also rising, with 93.6% of Veterans reporting they trust VA for their health care needs.

“Veterans First isn’t a slogan, it’s a promise—and it starts with listening,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins. This sentiment reflects VA’s ongoing efforts to engage directly with Veterans about their experiences by gathering their feedback to improve services.

What Veterans are saying about their experience

The quarterly VA Trust survey measures the overall ease, effectiveness and emotional resonance experienced by Veterans. This quarter hit record highs:

• 77.3% of Veterans said it was easy to get the care or services they needed.
• 81.4% said they got the care or services they needed.
• 79.5% said they felt like a valued customer when interacting with VA.​

Veterans’ feedback is essential for improving services across VA. Since May 2016, VA has sent nearly 124 million digital surveys and received more than 17.8 million responses—including over 6.1 million free‑text comments where Veterans describe their experiences in their own words. These comments provide valuable insights into Veterans’ experiences, helping VA understand what is working well and what needs more attention.

How VA served Veterans this quarter

The numbers reveal a significant impact:

• Over 4.8 million Veterans received VA health care, totaling more than 29 million clinical encounters including 19.2 million in-person appointments and 7.4 million telehealth or telephone appointments.
• 14.5 million calls were answered across VA contact centers. The Veterans Crisis Line received over 292,000 calls (Dial 988, then press 1) and 45,500 calls were made to the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans.
• Nearly 750,000 disability and pension claims, over 1 million education and supplemental claims, and about 170,900 home loan guarantees were processed.

Need support or want to explore VA benefits?

Visit VA.gov, download the VA Welcome Kit at VA.gov/welcome-kit, or call 1‑800‑MyVA411 (800‑698‑2411) at any time, day or night.

Your experience matters. If you’re a Veteran, your voice shapes the future of VA services. Keep sharing your feedback, stay connected with your VA benefits and help us continue building a system that puts Veterans first.

https://news.va.gov/146004/veterans-trust-in-va-hits-record-high/?utm_source=middle&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=VetResources&utm_id=15APR2026