Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins has asked Congress for a 25% boost to the department’s Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM) budget for Fiscal Year 2027, seeking an additional $840 million to bring the total to $4.2 billion. The request aims to accelerate an expanded rollout across dozens of VA medical centers over the next two years and to shore up interoperability, data migration and system stabilization activities that officials say are critical to program success.
Improved interoperability and stabilized EHR infrastructure are positioned as enablers for advanced clinical analytics, AI-driven decision support, population health management and predictive modelling across the VA’s network. Officials say consolidated, high-quality data will allow safer deployment of machine learning tools, automated workflows and vendor integrations, but they warn delays or insufficient funding could constrain AI pilots, slow patient-safety gains and limit the VA’s ability to scale innovation.
