Explore your VA healthcare options

What VA healthcare actually is

VA healthcare is a comprehensive medical benefit administered by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) through more than 1,300 facilities nationwide, including medical centers, Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), and Vet Centers. Depending on a veteran's enrollment priority group, the program may cover preventive care, primary care, specialty care, mental health services, prescription medications, laboratory work, surgery, inpatient care, and long-term services. The rules that govern enrollment, scope of care, and copayments are set out in Title 38 of the Code of Federal Regulations[src] and explained for the public on VA.gov[src].

VA healthcare is a separate program from TRICARE, which serves active-duty service members, their families, and military retirees, and from Medicare, which is administered by CMS. CHAMPVA, a different program also run by VA, covers certain dependents and survivors of permanently and totally disabled or deceased veterans. Many veterans may be enrolled in more than one of these programs at the same time, and coordination of benefits rules determine which pays first for a given visit.

Who qualifies for VA healthcare

Basic eligibility generally requires 24 continuous months of active duty service (or the full period for which the veteran was called to active duty) and a qualifying discharge, typically honorable or general under honorable conditions. Certain Other Than Honorable (OTH) discharges may still allow enrollment after a Character-of-Discharge review. The eligibility framework is codified at 38 CFR § 17.36[src].

The eight priority groups

VA assigns every enrollee to one of eight priority groups. The group controls access to certain services and whether copayments apply. Priority is based on factors that can include service-connected disability rating, Medal of Honor / Purple Heart / former POW status, catastrophic disability designations, service in specific combat eras, exposure to toxic substances, and income relative to geographically indexed thresholds. VA publishes a plain-language summary of each group on VA.gov[src].

Priority Group 1 generally includes veterans with a service-connected disability rated 50% or more, and those determined by VA to be unemployable due to service-connected conditions. Priority Group 2 generally covers veterans rated 30% or 40% service-connected. Priority Group 3 can include former POWs, Purple Heart and Medal of Honor recipients, veterans rated 10% or 20%, and those discharged for a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty. Priority Group 4 generally covers veterans who are catastrophically disabled or receiving Aid and Attendance or Housebound benefits. Priority Group 5can include non-service-connected veterans with income below VA's national means-test thresholds, and veterans receiving VA pension. Priority Group 6 may include combat veterans within their post-discharge enhanced-eligibility window, certain toxic exposure categories (Agent Orange, radiation, Camp Lejeune contaminated water, Gulf War), and 0% service-connected veterans. Priority Group 7 generally includes veterans whose household income is below the HUD geographic means-test threshold for their area but above the national threshold. Priority Group 8 generally includes veterans with income above both thresholds; enrollment in Group 8 is open to some sub-groups and limited for others.

Traps that send veterans away unnecessarily

An OTH discharge does not automatically bar VA healthcare. Veterans with OTH characterizations can request a Character-of-Discharge review, and if VA finds the service was under conditions other than dishonorable for VA purposes, healthcare eligibility may be established under 38 CFR § 3.12[src]. This is one of the most common reasons veterans are told “you don't qualify” when they may in fact qualify.

The PACT Act, Pub. L. 117-168, significantly expanded eligibility for post-9/11 combat veterans and for veterans exposed to burn pits and other airborne hazards. Under the law's phased implementation, many combat veterans from the post-9/11 era may enroll in VA healthcare without first needing a service-connected rating, and toxic-exposed veterans across earlier eras may also be eligible under expanded presumptive categories[src]. Income thresholds for Priority Group 8 are updated annually and use HUD geographic thresholds, so a veteran who was over-income one year may cross back into eligibility the next.

How enrollment works

Enrollment is a five-step process, and almost every step can be completed online, by phone, by mail, or in person at a VA medical facility.

1. Gather documents. A copy of DD-214 (or equivalent separation document), proof of identity, and, if applicable, current health insurance information. VA is required to bill private insurance for treatment of non-service-connected conditions, but a veteran is not charged the difference; the insurance information only affects how VA bills behind the scenes.
2. File VA Form 10-10EZ. The application may be submitted online through VA.gov's 10-10EZ portal[src], by mail to the Health Eligibility Center, in person at any VA medical facility's enrollment office, or by phone at 877-222-VETS (8387).
3. Wait for priority assignment. VA notifies applicants of enrollment status and priority group by letter, typically within a few weeks. If the letter appears to assign the wrong priority group (for example, it does not reflect a recent rating decision), the assignment may be reconsidered.
4. Choose a VA medical facility. Most veterans are assigned, or can select, the closest CBOC or medical center. The facility locator at VA.gov/find-locations[src] lists all VHA sites by ZIP code.
5. Schedule a first primary-care appointment. The first visit establishes a Patient-Aligned Care Team (PACT) and creates the medical record that later referrals, specialty care, and community care decisions will draw from.

What veterans frequently miss

Even veterans who are enrolled sometimes pay out of pocket for care they could have received at VA expense, or miss programs that are open to them. A few of the most commonly overlooked pieces of the healthcare benefit:

Where to get help

The enrollment office at any VA medical center can answer eligibility questions, accept a 10-10EZ in person, and correct priority-group errors. A full list of facilities is available at VA.gov/find-locations[src]. For complex situations, such as requesting a Character-of-Discharge review, appealing a priority group assignment, or coordinating CHAMPVA with other coverage, a VA-accredited Veterans Service Officer (VSO) or County Veterans Service Officer (CVSO) can represent the veteran at no cost. The official VA eligibility check lives at VA.gov/health-care/eligibility[src].

This site is not VA-accredited and cannot enroll any veteran in VA healthcare. The tools above are decision-support only; enrollment decisions are made by VA based on a complete application and the veteran's service record.

Related VBN tools

Free, anonymous decision-support tools on this site that relate to VA healthcare:

• Priority Group Finder — walk through the factors VA considers when assigning one of the eight priority groups.
• Enrollment Eligibility Check — review the service, discharge, and documentation questions that shape a 10-10EZ application.
• Community Care Eligibility — see whether MISSION Act wait-time or drive-time standards may open private-provider care at VA expense.
• Disability tools hub — a service-connected rating can change priority-group placement and copay exposure, so rating work often precedes healthcare enrollment.