WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced Nov. 29 that the White House VA Hotline, first launched in June 2017 as part of President Donald J. Trump’s commitment to reforming VA, is now fully staffed with live agents working to serve veterans 24-hours a day, 365 days a year.
The hotline, which became 24-hour operational in mid-October, is now staffed by a team consisting of 90 percent veterans or employees who have a veteran family member, and is in response to veterans’ requests to talk to agents who could relate to their experiences.
“The White House VA Hotline provides our nation’s veterans with a direct, dedicated contact line that allows them to interact with highly trained, live agents to answer their needs and concerns,” said VA Secretary David J. Shulkin. “Since the initial launch of the hotline in June, we listened to our veterans, who indicated that they prefer speaking with other veterans and veteran family members, and we adjusted our hiring based on that feedback,” added Shulkin.
Hotline agents answer inquiries, provide directory assistance, document concerns about VA care, benefits and services, and expedite the referral and resolution of those concerns. Agents undergo regular updates and training on VA services based on hotline trends and are assisted by newly implemented tracking software to help VA capture and improve its response, referral and resolution processes to best support Veterans.
The hotline can be accessed at 855-948-2311 and is VA’s first non-clinical, non-emergency around-the-clock call center. It provides veterans a supplemental option to report issues if they are not being addressed through VA’s normal customer service channels.
The hotline’s agents are located at a VA facility in Shepherdstown, W.Va. The hotline also generates real-time reports to VA experts who can help address the specific issues of veterans as well as make better-informed decisions on where program improvements are needed.