Veterans rely on VA doctors for primary care, specialty care, mental health support, toxic exposure follow-up, cancer treatment, and complex disability-related care. When VA cannot recruit or retain enough physicians, veterans can face longer waits and reduced access to the care they earned.

That is why lawmakers are pressing VA Secretary Doug Collins to use authority Congress already provided. The Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs reported that Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal, House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Mark Takano, and colleagues called on Collins to use existing authority to pay certain doctors above VA’s $400,000 cap.

The lawmakers said Collins had called for new legislation even though VA already has authority under the Dole Act to waive pay limits for up to 300 critical health care providers.

Veterans need timely access to VA doctors.

Unused Authority Does Not Help Veterans

Government Executive reported that the Dole Act gave VA authority to issue 300 waivers to recruit or retain staff in critical health care roles. Fedweek reported that congressional leaders pressed VA to use special pay authorities for physicians, podiatrists, optometrists, and dentists.

Federal Newswire also reported that lawmakers said VA already has authority under Section 142 of Public Law 118-210.

This is not only an internal staffing dispute. It affects veterans who need timely appointments, stable care teams, and access to specialists.

Specialty care depends on experienced physicians.

Shortages Are Already A Warning Sign

The VA Office of Inspector General found that VHA facilities reported 4,434 severe occupational staffing shortages in fiscal year 2025, a 50% increase from fiscal year 2024. All 139 VHA facilities identified staffing shortages.

The American Psychological Association has also warned that VA workforce shortages threaten veterans’ mental health care. These gaps are not theoretical. They can shape whether veterans receive help when they need it.

VA should immediately identify the specialties and regions where doctor shortages threaten care, use available pay waivers, publish a recruitment and retention plan, and report how staffing gaps affect wait times and access.

Veterans should not wait for another law when VA already has authority to act.

Sign the petition to urge VA Secretary Doug Collins to use existing doctor pay waiver authority and protect veterans from staffing-related care delays.