WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Department of Veterans Affairs expects to reduce prosthetic limb delivery times by more than 40% after changing procurement rules that previously required most orders to undergo contracting officer review, a move affecting more than 45,000 veterans who rely on the agency for major limb-loss care each year.
The VA said the changes, implemented April 22 by Secretary Doug Collins, exempt roughly 95% of prosthetic limb orders from contracting officer approval. Only the highest-cost prosthetic purchases will continue to require those reviews.
The department also authorized local purchasing agents to buy directly from local suppliers when prosthetic prices are already established through Medicare, eliminating additional procurement steps where price negotiations are unnecessary.
According to the VA, the changes have already reduced average wait times by about 10 days. The agency projects delivery times will fall from an average of 94 days to 54 days as the new process is fully implemented nationwide.
“Every day counts for Veterans,” Collins said. “By removing needless bureaucracy, VA is enabling clinicians and procurement teams to provide Veterans with high-quality prosthetic care, better and faster than before.”
The department characterized the procurement overhaul as part of a broader effort to streamline operations and expand access to services.
The VA reported enrolling more than 150,000 new veterans in its health care system during 2026 and opening 36 new health care facilities since January 2025. The agency also reported completing more than 82 million direct-care appointments during fiscal 2025, a 4.1% increase from the previous year.
Additional agency figures show more than 2.8 million appointments were offered outside normal operating hours during fiscal 2025, while 51,936 homeless veterans were permanently housed during the year, the highest total reported by the department in seven years.
Information on VA prosthetic and amputation care programs is available through the department’s Amputation Care Services, Orthotic, Prosthetic & Pedorthic Clinical Services, and Prosthetic & Sensory Aid Services programs.
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