The Veterans Affairs Department expects to spend about $340 million to buy medical equipment and train staff for its new Denver hospital, on top of the estimated $1.73 billion to build the facility, officials said Saturday.
The $340 million also includes patient beds and furniture, VA spokeswoman Elaine Buehler said.
The costs are known as activation expenses and are budgeted separately from construction costs, she said. Congress has already allocated some of the money, she said.
The Denver hospital, under construction in suburban Aurora, has become a major embarrassment for the VA because of construction cost overruns, separate from the activation expenses.
The hospital won't be finished until 2017. Last year, the VA said it would be done in 2015 and cost $630 million to build.
The VA blames a flawed design process and other problems. An internal investigation is underway.
The department has asked Congress for an additional $830 million to finish the project and said it needs the money soon to avoid a shutdown. The VA says it has spent most of the money already allocated.
