National Cemetery Administration nets prestigious honor  

VA’s National Cemetery Administration (NCA) received the highest score ever in the annual American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), according to a news release on Feb. 21.

NCA, which received a score of 97, was ranked first overall for the seventh consecutive time by ACSI.

The administration provides burial and memorial benefits to eligible veterans, their spouses, and their dependents — at no cost to the family. This includes a gravesite in any VA national cemetery with available space, opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, a government headstone, marker or medallion, a burial flag and a Presidential Memorial Certificate. Some veterans may also be eligible for burial allowances.

In 2022, NCA laid 145,737 veterans and family members to rest. NCA is now providing 94% of veterans with burial sites within 75 miles of their homes. 

The ratings are “the only national cross-industry measure of customer satisfaction available in the United States.” NCA’s score for 2022 is based on ACSI’s surveys of veterans and their families.

“These ratings show that veterans and their families trust VA to provide the lasting resting places they deserve,” said Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Matt Quinn. “Veterans and their families, not us, are the ultimate judges of our success — and we will always be here for them in the times when they need us most.”

The ACSI ratings began in 1994, and measure more than 400 companies in 47 industries and 10 economic sectors, including various services of federal and local government agencies. The federal government average score was 66.3.