The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) provides health care for veterans at VA hospitals and clinics throughout the country. If you're a veteran of the United States Armed Forces, you might be eligible for health benefits. Read on to learn who's eligible for VA health care benefits (and who's not), what type of care and services the VA covers, what groups of veterans are eligible for specialized services, and how to apply for VA health care.
If you had active duty in the military and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable, you may be eligible for VA health care benefits. Many veterans have to have served a minimum amount of time to qualify for health care benefits.
If you enlisted after September 7, 1980, or entered active duty after October 16, 1981, you must have served for 24 continuous months to be eligible for VA health care.
If you're a member of the National Guard or Reserves, you might qualify if you:
Veterans who served before September 7, 1980, don't have to meet a minimum service requirement to be eligible for VA health care.
If you haven't had at least 24 continuous months of active duty service, you might not be eligible for VA health care. But if you were discharged due to a service-connected disability or hardship, you might still be eligible for VA health care.
And although some members of the Reserves and National Guard can qualify, if your active-duty status was for training purposes only, you generally won't qualify for VA health care.
Finally, you likely won't be eligible for VA health care if you have "bad paper," that is, if you received:
Even with some "bad paper," you might still be eligible for VA health care if you've had multiple periods of service and had at least one discharge that wasn't other than honorable. Learn how to get VA benefits with "good" and "bad" paper.
If you're not eligible for VA health care because of your discharge status, you might be able to restore your eligibility through:
Of these options, asking for a character of service evaluation is the quickest and most likely to restore your eligibility for VA benefits.
In most cases, you need to apply for VA health care, but in some cases, enrollment is automatic.
In some cases, the Veterans Administration will provide you with health care without you applying for it. Automatic enrollment can happen if you:
You can apply for VA health care by calling or visiting your local VA medical center or VA regional office (find yours using the VA locations tool). You can also apply for benefits by calling 877-222-VETS (8387) Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (ET). Or you can complete the Application for Health Benefits online.
If you're completing the application yourself and need help, call 877-222-VETS (8387) or use the VA's chatbot.
Unfortunately, the Veterans Health Administration doesn't have enough resources to provide care to all veterans who need it. To address this issue, the VA has created eight health care priority groups. Your available benefits depend on your priority group.
When you apply, the VA will assign you to a priority group. You might have co-pays to be placed in some priority groups. If you're eligible for more than one group, the VA will put you in the higher priority group.
If you have a service-connected injury or illness, your priority group will be determined by your disability rating. Former POWs and recipients of certain military honors also get special priority.
In addition, VA grants priority based on other factors, including financial need. If you're not receiving veterans disability compensation or a VA pension, you'll probably have to provide financial information to show that your annual income is below the VA's income threshold.
As the VA's resources increase, members of more priority groups are enrolled in VA health care, and as resources decrease, fewer groups are enrolled. It all depends on annual funding and how many veterans are in the higher priority groups.
To determine which group you might belong to, see the VA's description of priority groups.
Combat veterans who were recently discharged have five years of special enrollment status after their discharge under the enhanced health care eligibility program. If you're a recently discharged combat veteran, it's a good idea to enroll even if you don't need VA health care right now. Doing so preserves your right to receive VA health care if you later need it.
Regardless of priority group, if you're eligible for VA health care, you'll receive coverage for most medical care and services, including the following:
Your VA health care coverage also includes:
Veterans in certain priority groups also qualify for dental coverage. And depending on your needs, financial situation, and available space, your VA health care might also cover home health services and assisted living. (Learn more about VA nursing home care.)
The VA offers special health care benefits and services to veterans with certain medical conditions, including mental health issues. You can get some of these services even if you aren't eligible for other VA health care benefits.
The VA has increasingly recognized the need for services for veterans subjected to sexual trauma during service. Even if you're ineligible for VA health care, you can still receive counseling for military sexual trauma (MST) and health care for any related physical injuries or illnesses. To be eligible, the trauma must have occurred:
Learn more about getting VA health care and disability compensation for military sexual trauma.
If you're a combat veteran, you can access free counseling even if you're not receiving VA benefits or enrolled in VA health care. To learn about your mental health care options, call the VA hotline at 800-827-1000 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday.
If you're a veteran in crisis or worried about a vet who's struggling, you can connect with a Veterans Crisis Line responder 24 hours a day by dialing 988, then pressing 1. Or start a confidential chat by texting 838255.
The VA has special treatment centers to meet the needs of veterans with spinal cord injuries and disorders. For more information or to locate a treatment center near you, see the VA's Spinal Cord Injury and Disorders webpage.
VA health benefits are available for veterans and their family members exposed to contaminated drinking water at the Marine Corps base at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina (and Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River) between 1957 and 1987. Many of these veterans, their spouses, and children later developed cancer and other illnesses as a result of drinking water contaminated with toxins, including:
The symptoms of having been exposed to toxins from Camp Lejeune water contamination vary depending on the diagnosis, but signs can include:
The Honoring America's Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012 provides VA medical and hospital services to Camp Lejeune veterans who served on the base for at least 30 days. A veteran has to be diagnosed with one of 15 medical conditions (listed below) that are recognized as related to the base water supply. (38 U.S.C. §1710(e)(1)(F).)
The law also provides for health care for veterans' family members who develop one of the conditions if they lived on base for at least 30 days. (38 U.S.C. §1787.)
Federal regulations establish the following eligibility and coverage details:
If you have any of the fifteen diseases and conditions listed here, you can get VA health care without a copay:
(Learn how a 2022 law allows veterans and their families to sue if they were harmed by exposure to contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune.)
The 2012 act also established a presumptive service connection for Camp Lejeune veterans, reservists, and National Guard members who have developed certain illnesses. To qualify, you must have served at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days from August 1, 1953, to December 31, 1987. (38 CFR 3.307(a)(7)(iii).) Having an illness with a presumptive service connection makes it easier to get service-connected disability compensation from the VA.
Not all of the Lejeune-related health conditions that qualify for VA health care qualify for a presumptive service connection. For instance, you can get VA health care for esophageal cancer, breast cancer, female infertility, miscarriage, and scleroderma, but those conditions don't qualify for a presumptive service connection. Here are the eight conditions that qualify for presumptive service connection for people who lived or served at Camp Lejeune:
Once you've filed your application for VA health care, the VA will process it and notify you:
If you were automatically enrolled, you'll be notified of your priority group and whether you'll be responsible for co-pays.
This notification will also explain how to appeal if you disagree with the VA's decision. If you were wrongly denied benefits, contact a disability lawyer certified by the VA.
Updated November 20, 2023
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