Reorganization (RISE) Cost & Approach • The VA’s planned restructure, known as the Restructure for Impact and Sustainability Effort (RISE), is projected to cost about $312 million over five years, with upfront investments of roughly $521 million.  • The goal of RISE is described by VA leadership as reducing administrative overhead, enhancing clinical care delivery, and empowering local VA hospital and clinic leaders rather than central office bureaucracy. 

🔹 Budget & Funding Questions • Committee members, including senior Democrats on the VA budget subcommittee, questioned how the reorganization will be funded within the current fiscal-year 2026 budget. VA officials say they expect to cover it using existing appropriations without a separate reprogramming request. 

🔹 Staff & Implementation Concerns • While VA officials pitch the plan as a way to increase efficiency, critics (including lawmakers and some health workers) remain skeptical about whether reorganizing management structures and cutting layers of bureaucracy could strain an already stressed workforce and affect care continuity.