The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General is questioning $1,172,892,283 in costs on the new Louisville VA medical center, a project it says is at least 13 years behind its initial plan. The report, numbered 25-01782-158 and published Sept. 24, finds the hospital is not expected to be finished until November 2027. Its original schedule called for completion in April 2014.
The inspector general’s review of the major construction project puts the figure under its “questioned costs” label. In the full report, the stated reason is that VA could not demonstrate that “a project business case approved by the Secretary was submitted to justify the project’s budget, as required by OMB Circular A-11.” Questioned costs are not a finding that the money was stolen or wasted. They mark spending the inspector general could not tie to a required approval.
For veterans in the Louisville area, the practical question is whether the delay changes where they get care. The new medical center is not open, and the report projects November 2027 for completion. Until it is, care continues through VA’s existing Louisville facilities, and the dates in the inspector general’s report are the ones to watch for any move…