Every year, thousands of military veterans who have suffered harrowing injuries involving amputations receive prosthetic limbs through the Department of Veterans Affairs. It’s a process that can take weeks, sometimes months, for approval, purchasing, fittings and therapy before an eligible veteran receives one.
But as of April 2026, the federal government has streamlined the process with an eye toward efficiency, cost and convenience for many veterans who have long complained that obtaining a government-approved prosthetic can be daunting.
Among the changes: case reviews by a contracting officer would be waived except for the most expensive prosthetic limbs, and local purchasing agents would be able to source prosthetics from area suppliers, eventually cutting wait times by as much as 40%.
“I have seen very long delays, and delays just aren’t good,” Jim Lorraine, president and CEO of America’s Warrior Partnership, said in an interview with Military.com.
A long wait doesn’t help the veteran amputee. In many cases, it makes their situation worse.
Lorraine’s organization advocates for veterans across the country who are in need of all kinds of government resources and services, including prosthetic limbs. Lorraine is a retired lieutenant colonel of the Air Force, and an amputee himself due to a car accident in 1983 where his left foot was severed before he enlisted.
He opted for an immediate limb reattachment instead of a prosthesis, and says the biggest issue he sees is the inconvenience veteran amputees face trying to cut through the red tape.
“Had I lost my foot today, I probably would have chosen to have a prosthetic, rather than go through a limb salvage. But that likely would have meant a long delay and other roadblocks,” the 64-year-old veteran said. “I have complications now that I wouldn’t have with a prosthetic, which is why so many amputees choose prosthetics in the first place.”
Lengthy Process Reduced For VA Prosthetics
Under the new rules, VA Secretary Doug Collins said veterans’ wait times for prosthetic limbs have been immediately reduced by as many as 10 days. In the long-term, the VA expects average wait times to fall from 94 days to 54 days, as facilities across the country fully implement the new process.
“Veterans waiting on a prosthetic limb aren’t waiting on a piece of equipment. They’re waiting to get back to living their lives,” Secretary Collins said in a social media post. “That’s why we’re reducing red tape and getting veterans the prosthetics they need faster.”
According to the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Veterans Affairs cares for more than 90,000 veterans a year with limb loss. The vast majority are older veterans who have lost limbs due to chronic diseases like diabetes.Combat-related amputations account for a smaller number of veteran amputees.The lengthy process to obtain a prosthetic through the VA involves a number of appointments and steps, even after approval is granted.
There are doctor appointments to determine the health and stability of the surviving portion of a limb, and then multiple fittings, physical therapy and follow-up doctor visits.
According to the VA’s website, other steps include a temporary prosthetic to start, likely made of clear plastic to test how the amputated limp is adjusting to the device; a learning curve for using the device while building strength and endurance through physical therapy; a permanent prosthetic made from a mold of the amputated limb; various adjustments with the device to add or reduce pressure; and routine checkups including possible six-month and one-year evaluations.
The VA also notes there are task-specific prosthetics available that can help an amputee live a hyper-active lifestyle or occupation-specific devices such as flame-resistant prosthetics for firefighters.
Prosthetics More About Function Than Form
Lorraine says whatever the reason or use of a prosthesis, veteran amputees are now eligible for faster service to give them the freedom that a working limb provides.
Prosthetics don’t just need to be functional. They need to fit the lifestyle, and I think its great that the VA is making it easier and faster for veterans to get them. A prosthesis is not just to walk again, but it’s to get your life back, to be able to do the things you used to do.
As for Lorraine’s reattached left foot, he says a prosthetic could still be on the table for him.
“If my foot and ankle got to the point that I could no longer walk, or it was unhealthy to keep, I would be eligible for a prosthetic from the VA,” Lorraine said. “And it’s good to know that the VA is making it easier to get one, way easier than it’s ever been before.”
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