This guide equips advocates and other changemakers with critical information for advancing health equity in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), including background on the VA health benefits and service delivery system, an overview of major challenges to accessing health care and inequities experienced by veterans, and a summary of policy opportunities for advancing equity. It covers the following topics:

• VA overview
• key population characteristics
• providers and service delivery
• financing details
• barriers to access, quality, and equitable outcomes 
• disparities
• primary oversight entities and accountability mechanisms 
• policies and actions to reduce barriers and disparities
• a vignette illustrating accessing health care in the VA system
• additional resources and a glossary

This guide is part of a larger project on inequities and policy levers in the US health care system. For the complete guide, visit https://www.urban.org/projects/guide-equity-us-health-care-system.