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Response to Washington Post VA Disability Investigation
A Statistical Rebuttal
Matthew Hill
November 13, 2025
The Washington Post's recent series on VA disability fraud focuses on approximately 70 prosecutions identified since 2017 while omitting critical context: VA processed 2.52 million rating claims in FY2024, with about 36% denied—hundreds of thousands of veterans who must pursue decision reviews or appeals.
This response provides the statistical context missing from the Post's investigation and examines why scrutinizing a program where VA OIG opens approximately 63 fraud investigations annually—scrutinizing only about 0.001% of beneficiaries—deserves perspective against the backdrop of 900,000+ denied claims and significantly higher fraud rates in other federal programs.
Key Findings
VA OIG opens approximately 63 fraud investigations per year—about 0.001% of the 6.9 million beneficiaries. This represents the share of beneficiaries scrutinized, not a measured program-wide fraud rate. The minuscule investigation rate demonstrates how small the fraud caseload is relative to program size.
Pentagon failed its seventh consecutive audit in FY2024, with $4.1 trillion in assets and approximately 63% of assets improperly accounted for—representing control failures, not cash missing.
Healthcare fraud: Industry estimates suggest 3-10% of healthcare spending ($147-343 billion annually) lost to fraud—orders of magnitude larger than VA disability.
VA processed 2.52 million rating claims in FY2024; approximately 36% were denied (~900,000 claims). Many of these denials will be overturned on appeal, suggesting systemic issues with initial adjudication.
For every fraud prosecution since 2017 (~70 cases), there were approximately 12,857 denied claims in FY2024 alone (ratio: 900,000 ÷ 70 ≈ 12,857:1).
The Stark Reality: Denials vs. Prosecutions
For Every 1 Fraud Prosecution… |
1 Fraud Prosecution (Since 2017) |
↓ |
12,857 Veterans Had Claims Denied (FY2024) |
Source: Washington Post investigation (~70 prosecutions since 2017) & VA FY2024 claims data (2.52M claims, ~36% denial rate) |
Investigation Coverage: 0.001%
How Many Veterans Are Scrutinized for Fraud?
6,900,000 Total VA Disability Beneficiaries |
Of these... |
~63 per year Are Investigated by VA OIG for Potential Fraud |
= 0.001% Scrutiny Rate This is not a program-wide fraud rate—it shows how tiny the fraud caseload is |
Source: Washington Post analysis of VA OIG investigations
VA Claims Processing FY2024
1,617,000 APPROVED (64%) | ~900,000 DENIED (36%) |
Total Claims Processed: 2,517,519 Many denied claims are later overturned on appeal, suggesting initial adjudication quality issues |
Source: VA.gov (claims processed), Military.com/VeteransGuide (approval rates)
Federal Program Fraud Comparison
When evaluating VA disability's fraud profile, context matters. Comparing across major federal programs reveals that VA disability has one of the lowest fraud footprints in the federal government:
Program | Annual Budget | Fraud/Improper Payment | Relative Scale |
|---|---|---|---|
Pentagon / DOD | $841B | $4.1T assets; ~63% improperly accounted¹ | 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 |
Healthcare (All) | ~$4.9T | $147-343B annually (3-10% est.)² | 🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠 |
Unemployment | Varies | $191B (COVID-era, 2020-23) | 🟠🟠🟠🟠 |
Medicare | $874B | ~$60B annually (improper payments)³ | 🟡🟡🟡 |
Medicaid | $752B | 5.09% improper payment rate³ | 🟡🟡 |
VA Disability | $193B | ~63 investigations/yr (0.001% scrutinized)⁴ | 🟢 |
¹ DOD audit figures reflect audit scope and control deficiencies, not cash missing. FY2024 data.
² Healthcare fraud range is industry estimate based on 3-10% of total healthcare spending (NHCAA).
³ Improper payments include both fraud and administrative errors; not all are fraud.
⁴ Investigation rate is not a program-wide fraud rate; most fraud is never prosecuted. Scale bars represent relative magnitude.
The Editorial Choice
The Washington Post had numerous fraud stories to pursue. Pentagon audit failures involve trillions of dollars. Healthcare fraud estimates run into hundreds of billions annually. COVID-era unemployment fraud exceeded $191 billion. Yet the Post chose to focus investigative resources on a benefits program where OIG opens approximately 63 fraud investigations per year out of 6.9 million beneficiaries—a microscopic 0.001% scrutiny rate.
The series acknowledges veterans' advocates and lawmakers who pushed back, noting these cases represent a tiny fraction of beneficiaries. Multiple outlets, including Stars and Stripes, captured this response from the veteran community. Yet the narrative arc remained focused on dramatic individual cases rather than systemic statistical context.
The Post's separate investigation into unaccredited 'claims consultants' highlights a legitimate concern—an unregulated industry that can mislead veterans. This is distinct from accredited representatives and deserves attention. However, conflating the two issues risks unfairly maligning accredited advocates who help veterans navigate a complex system.
System Failures: Reframing the 'Flawed System'
The Post describes VA's disability system as 'flawed'—but flawed in what direction?
Underfunding and Staffing
VA processed 2.52 million rating claims in FY2024—a staggering workload. Processing delays, understaffing, and resource constraints plague the system. Claims that should take months stretch into years. Veterans die waiting for decisions.
Processing Errors Cost Veterans Money
A July 2024 VA OIG report found processing errors in 100% disability ratings resulted in approximately $9.8 million in overpayments—but $84.7 million in underpayments. The system's mistakes disproportionately harm veterans, not the government.
Denials and Appeals
With approximately 900,000 claims denied in FY2024 and substantial appeal success rates across different review lanes (with grants and remands varying by Board of Veterans' Appeals lane), the data suggest many legitimate claims are initially rejected. Veterans must spend months or years fighting for benefits they earned through service.
This is the 'flawed system'—one that routinely denies legitimate veterans while catching fraud effectively. The Post's investigation found 70 prosecutions over eight years. That's exceptional enforcement, not system failure.
Conclusion
Fraud exists in every benefits program. The question is: where should investigative journalism focus limited resources?
VA OIG scrutinizes approximately 0.001% of beneficiaries for potential fraud—roughly 63 investigations annually out of 6.9 million recipients. Meanwhile, 900,000 claims were denied in FY2024 alone. For every prosecution the Post identified since 2017, approximately 12,857 claims were denied in FY2024.
By comparison, credible estimates suggest fraud or improper payments in other large federal programs are orders of magnitude higher: Pentagon audit failures affecting trillions in assets, healthcare fraud estimates of $147-343 billion annually, COVID-era unemployment fraud of $191 billion, and Medicare/Medicaid improper payments in the tens of billions.
The real scandal isn't fraud—it's that hundreds of thousands of legitimate veterans must fight through appeals to receive benefits they earned. It's processing errors that underpay veterans by nearly nine times the amount of overpayments. It's a system so understaffed and overwhelmed that claims take years to resolve.
Veterans deserve better. America's disabled veterans earned their benefits through service and sacrifice. They should not be vilified for seeking what is rightfully theirs. Investigative journalism should scrutinize the system that denies them, not the tiny fraction who abuse it.
Sources & Citations
Washington Post investigation series (October 2025): Identification of ~70 prosecutions since 2017, OIG investigation rates
VA News / VA.gov: FY2024 claims processing statistics (2,517,519 rating claims processed)
Military.com / VeteransGuide: FY2024-2025 approval/denial rate reporting (~64% approval rate, ~36% denial rate)
Pentagon / DOD: FY2024 audit results, seventh consecutive failed audit, $4.1T in assets
Government Accountability Office (GAO): DOD financial management analysis, improper payment data
National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association (NHCAA): Healthcare fraud estimates (3-10% of healthcare spending)
Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL OIG): COVID-era unemployment fraud estimates ($191B)
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): Medicare/Medicaid improper payment rates
Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG): Healthcare fraud data
VA OIG Report (July 2024): Processing errors in 100% disability ratings ($9.8M overpayments, $84.7M underpayments)
Board of Veterans' Appeals Annual Reports (FY2024): Appeal outcomes by lane (Supplemental, Higher-Level Review, Board appeals)
Stars and Stripes: Reporting on veteran advocate response to Washington Post investigation
In their words
Choosing Hill and Ponton (H&P) is the best decision I ever made! I am a 70+ year old disabled Vietnam Veteran with Parkinson’s Disease brought on by Agent Orange. Recently my conditions have worsened, and I made a secondary claim to the VA. Surprisingly, the VA rejected my claim based on hasty analysis by a non-VA medical subcontractor. I felt wronged and reached out to Hill and Ponton (H&P). H&P immediately accepted my challenge and then presented a compelling case. The VA quickly redecided my claim and granted me a 100% Permanent and Total Disability Rating! H&P’s advocacy of Veterans is outstanding while their legal expertise, commitment, and achieving results are superb!