Tariffs Are Putting Veterans’ Healthcare at Risk

America has a solemn obligation to care for the men and women who have worn the uniform in service of our nation. That promise is fulfilled every day through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which operates more than 1,300 medical facilities and serves 9.3 million veterans. But new tariffs on imported goods are threatening to undermine this mission and degrade the quality of care our veterans receive.

Rising Supply Costs Will Cause Longer Wait Times & Delayed Procedures

The VA relies heavily on a vast supply chain to provide critical medications, medical supplies, and lifesaving equipment to veterans. Many of these products—or the key components they are made from—are manufactured overseas.

For example:

• 45% of finished medications used in the U.S. are manufactured in India

• 13% are made in China, and another 7% in Europe60% of nitrile gloves, one of the most commonly used forms of PPE, are produced in Malaysia

• Ventilators, CT and MRI scanners, and even dental implants all depend on foreign raw materials or components

Tariffs on imports raise the cost of these supplies, and those costs ultimately reach the VA’s bottom line. When prices rise, the result isn’t felt in boardrooms or balance sheets — it’s felt in longer wait times, delayed procedures, and restricted access to care for veterans who have already sacrificed so much for this country.

A Fragile Healthcare System Stretched to the Breaking Point

Even before the tariffs took effect, the VA—and the broader healthcare sector—were under significant strain. Private hospitals across the country are cutting services or closing entirely. A recent report identified 432 rural hospitals that may shut their doors in the near future. These facilities are a lifeline for many veterans, particularly those in remote areas who already face long travel times to reach care.

At the same time, the VA itself is working through staffing reductions and operational changes that could eliminate tens of thousands of positions. Combined with rising costs from tariffs, these pressures threaten to weaken America’s ability to fulfill its sacred duty to veterans.

Construction and Modernization in Jeopardy

Tariffs also affect another critical component of veteran care: infrastructure. The VA is currently engaged in thousands of construction and modernization projects to update aging clinics, expand access to care, and build new facilities where they are needed. But building materials—steel, aluminum, and specialized equipment—are becoming more expensive.

If these costs continue to rise, critical construction timelines could be delayed, deferred, or even removed from future budget plans. That would mean fewer hospital beds, outdated equipment left in service, and veterans left waiting for the modern, high-quality care they were promised.

A Call to Stand by Our Veterans 

Bipartisan legislation like the Make PPE in America Act is beginning to rebuild our industrial base, but reshoring medical manufacturing takes time. Until those efforts can fully replace foreign supply chains, tariffs risk becoming an unintended tax on veterans’ healthcare.

America made a promise to its service members: if you defend this country, your country will stand by you. That promise is non-negotiable. 

Now more than ever, we must ensure that the VA has the tools, supplies, and funding it needs to serve every veteran with dignity and honor.