VA Health Care: Resource Allocation Methodology Has Had Little Impact on Medical Centers' Budgets

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined the Resource Allocation Methodology (RAM) that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) used in its financial management process, focusing on how: (1) VA used RAM to adjust medical centers' budgets; (2) the adjustments compared to total dollars budgeted to the centers; and (3) regional directors could help medical centers cope with developing financial needs during the course of a year.