The problem with the Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system is simple — too much money spent on overhead and too little spent on medical care.

From 2002, the earliest available data provided by the VA, through fiscal year 2013, spending at the VA grew by 162 percent. But much of that spending went to overhead and non-healthcare benefits.

Judging from the budget, the VA simply prioritized other programs rather than healthcare. As a whole, while the Department’s budget increased 162 percent, the amount dedicated to healthcare fell from 42 percent in 2002 to 39 percent in 2013. General operating expenses increased from 3.2 percent to 4.8 percent of the overall budget, as the number of patients served declined.

Money would not solve all of the problems in the VA system, but it would be a starting point. Diverting some of the money spent on overhead to additional healthcare providers would have a direct and positive impact on waiting times, possibly preventing some of the deaths that occurred while veterans waited to see physicians.

A bureaucracy is an integral part of any government program and bureaucrats who believe they are indispensible prepare budgets. Unfortunately, the VA is unlikely to improve access to care anytime soon, and as Obamacare moves forward, bureaucrats will replace healthcare providers in the civilian healthcare system.

Waiting lists and avoidable deaths are probably an unavoidable consequence of Obamacare.