This evaluation of the Health Care Benefits and Services Program was conducted in accordance with Veterans Affairs Canada's (VAC) approved multi-year, risk-based Evaluation Plan 2012-2017. The Health Care Benefits and Services Program, commonly referred to as the Treatment Benefits Program, provides Veteran recipients with access to extended health care. There are 14 benefits and services groups comprising a wide range of offerings. An overview of the benefits and services can be found in Appendix A. The evaluation examined the relevance and performance of the Program, and was conducted in accordance with Treasury Board policy requirements and related Treasury Board Secretariat guidance material. The evaluation findings and conclusions are based on the analysis of multiple lines of qualitative and quantitative evidence.

The War Veterans Allowance (WVA) Program, which began in 1930, provides monthly financial support to low-income war service Veterans and civilians (e.g., Overseas Welfare Workers, Auxiliary Services Personnel) or their survivors/dependents to help them meet their basic needs. This evaluation was conducted in accordance with Section 42.1 of the *Financial Administration Act* which requires that every federal department conducts a review of the relevance and effectiveness of each ongoing program of grants and contributions programs every five years.

This Rehabilitation Services Evaluation was conducted in accordance with Veterans Affairs Canada's (VAC) approved Multi-year Risk Based Evaluation Plan 2013-2018. Established in 2006, the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Act (hereinafter referred to as the New Veterans Charter or NVC), shifts the Department's focus from one of disability to one of wellness and responds to Canada's commitment to injured Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members and Veterans. As part of the NVC, the Rehabilitation Services and Vocational Assistance Program (hereinafter referred to as the Program) provides eligible Veteran recipients and their spouse/survivor(s) with one or more of the following types of rehabilitation services: medical, psychosocial, or vocational. In fiscal year 2012-13, the Program funded $18.4 million in benefits and services. The intent of the Program is to support the reasonable restoration of functioning in the following five major areas: mental and physical functioning; social adjustment; family relationships; financial security, employment and personal productivity; and community participation. Recipients are primarily Veterans who were recently medically-released from the CAF, or CAF Veterans who have a health problem resulting primarily from service which is creating a barrier to their re-establishment in civilian life. Veterans often present with complex co-morbid conditions which require the use of the various available medical and psychosocial rehabilitation benefits and services. The evaluation examined the relevance and performance of the Rehabilitation Services and Vocational Assistance Program and was conducted in accordance with Treasury Board (TB) requirements and TB Secretariat guidance material. The evaluation findings and conclusions are based on the analysis of multiple lines of evidence.

The evaluation of the Veterans Independence Program was conducted in accordance with the Veterans Affairs Canada Multi-Year Risk-Based Evaluation Plan 2015-20. The evaluation covers the time period from April 1, 2010 to March 31, 2015, and was conducted between June 2015 and January 2016. The objective of the Program is to assist eligible recipients to remain in their homes and communities as long as possible by providing financial assistance towards services which support and promote independence and health. Depending on circumstances and health needs, the Program can contribute to services such as housekeeping, grounds maintenance, personal care, access to nutrition, and health and support services. When home care is no longer practical, the Program assists Veterans to remain in their communities through financial support for intermediate care in community facilities (i.e., nursing home care). The evaluation focused on the housekeeping and grounds maintenance components of the Program because: * these two components combine for 77% of total program expenditures; and * significant changes were made to the method of payment for these components during the period of the evaluation.

Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) provides a wide range of health care benefits and services to eligible program recipients as specified under the authority of the Veterans Health Care Regulations. These entitlements are made available under the Treatment Benefits Program and Veterans Independence Program (VIP). The objective of these programs is to ensure program recipients are provided, according to their treatment eligibility, with reasonable and timely services that the Department considers to be an appropriate response to their assessed health needs. This audit was recommended for Deputy Minister approval by VAC’s Departmental Audit Committee on September 17, 2010. The objectives of the Federal Health Claims Processing System (FHCPS) Service Provider Audit were as follows: 1. To assess the adequacy of the service provider registration process; 2. To assess the adequacy of the requirements for service providers; 3. To determine compliance with service provider requirements; 4. To assess the efficiency of the appointment of service providers.

This evaluation of the Intermediate and Long Term Care Programs was conducted in accordance with the approved Veterans Affairs Canada Multi-Year Risk-Based Evaluation Plan 2012-2017. The Veterans Independence Program Intermediate Care (VIP IC) Program and the Long Term Care (LTC) Program, hereinafter referred to as "the Programs", support eligible Veterans and other individuals who require facility-based long term care. There are two types of beds under the Programs: community beds and contract beds. Community beds are beds in a facility operated by health authorities, private and not-for-profit sectors. Contract beds are beds that are set aside in a community facility pursuant to a contractual arrangement between the facility and VAC. Eligibility for these bed types varies. Community beds fall under both the VIP IC Program and the LTC Program, while Contract beds fall solely under the mandate of the LTC Program. The evaluation examined the relevance and performance of the Programs, and was conducted in accordance with Treasury Board policy requirements and guidance material. The evaluation findings and conclusions are based on the analysis of multiple lines of qualitative and quantitative evidence.

The Veterans Affairs Canada Health Care Benefits Program provides eligible Veterans and other qualified individuals with benefits and services, such as medical, surgical and dental care, prosthetic devices and home adaptations, through 14 Programs of Choice. Under the Veterans Health Care Regulations and Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Act, eligible Veterans and other qualified individuals have access to benefits and services, such as medical, surgical and dental care, prosthetic devices and home adaptations. Related Health Services are services provided by health care professionals other than physicians, dentists and nurses. Examples of these types of services include occupational therapy, physiotherapy, massage therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture, speech language pathology and psychological counseling. The objective of this audit was to assess Veterans Affairs Canada’s management control framework, and compliance with applicable policies and processes, and to identify any potential opportunities to improve efficiency of decision making for Related Health Services. The scope covered transactions processed from April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013.

Since 1981, Veterans Affairs Canada has administered a community-based, national program to eligible Veterans, their families, and other primary care-givers. These services include home care, home adaptations, ambulatory health care, and intermediate nursing home care. Now known as the Veterans Independence Program, it offers self-managed care in co-operation with provinces and regional health authorities. The program allows eligible Veterans, their families, and other primary care-givers to focus on maintaining their health, independence, and their quality of life. Every effort is being made to integrate the Veterans Independence Program administration with provincial and local resources to ensure a cost-efficient choice of service is available and to avoid duplication of service delivery. Veterans Affairs Canada is responsible for setting up and amending the contribution arrangements while an external Contractor, Medavie Blue Cross, is responsible for processing the claims. In the Spring of 2011, Senior Management requested an audit of the Veterans Independence Program reimbursement process to identify opportunities to further improve the process. This audit builds off the results of a 2010 audit of Veterans Independence Program and is focused on a single objective to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of the reimbursement process. The scope covered the period from November 2010 to April 2011.

The Evaluation of Commemorative Benefits and Services was conducted in accordance with Veterans Affairs Canada’s (VAC) approved Multi-Year Risk-Based Evaluation Plan 2012-17 and with the directive and standards specified in Treasury Board of Canada’s 2009 Policy on Evaluation. The evaluation covered three programs: Funeral and Burial, Cemetery and Grave Maintenance, and Honours and Awards. While the programs have differing objectives, they are all intended to reaffirm Canada's commitment to remember the sacrifices of the fallen, the Veterans, those who served our country on the home front, and those who served and will continue to serve our nation in the cause of peace throughout the world. The evaluation findings and conclusions are based on the analysis of multiple lines of qualitative and quantitative evidence.

The evaluation of Veterans Affairs Canada’s (VAC) Disability Pension and Disability Award Programs originated in the requirement to support the renewal of the Terms and Conditions of the Disability Award Program by March 2011. The Disability Award Program is part of the New Veterans Charter (NVC) suite of programs introduced in 2006 in order to meet the needs of a shifting client demographic. The NVC represents the most sweeping changes to Veterans’ benefits and services in the past 60 years.