Veterans

Basic Eligibility

If you served in the active military service and were separated under any condition other than dishonorable, you may qualify for VA health care benefits. Current and former members of the Reserves or National Guard who were called to active duty by a federal order and completed the full period for which they were called or ordered to active duty may be eligible for VA health benefits as well.

Minimum Duty Requirements

Most Veterans who enlisted after September 7, 1980, or entered active duty after October 16, 1981, must have served 24 continuous months or the full period for which they were called to active duty in order to be eligible. This minimum duty requirement may not apply to Veterans who were discharged for a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty, for a hardship or “early out,” or those who served prior to September 7, 1980. Since there are a number of other exceptions to the minimum duty requirements, VA encourages all Veterans to apply so that we may determine their enrollment eligibility.

The very first step in obtaining access to your VA Health Benefits is to apply. If you meet the basic eligibility requirements outlined above, VA encourages you to apply today by completing VA Form 10-10EZ, Application for Health Benefitsonline.

Enhanced Eligibility

Certain Veterans may be afforded enhanced eligibility status when applying and enrolling in the VA health care system. Veterans who:

• Are a Former Prisoner of War (POW) - Is a person who, while serving in the active military, naval, or air service, was forcibly detained or interned in the line of duty.
• In receipt of the Purple Heart Medal.
• In receipt of the Medal of Honor.
• Have a VA awarded service-connected disability of 10% or more.
• In receipt of a VA Pension.
• Were discharged or separated for medical reasons, early out, or hardship.
• Were discharged from the military because of a disability (not preexisting)
• Are found by VA to be Catastrophically Disabled.
• Previous years' household income is below VA's National Income or Geographical-Adjusted Thresholds.

Enrollment

VA operates an annual enrollment system that helps to manage the provision of health care. VA applies a variety of factors during the application verification process when determining a Veterans’ eligibility for enrollment, but once a Veteran is enrolled, that Veteran remains enrolled in the VA health care system and maintains access to certain VA health benefits.

Once your application is successfully processed, you will be assigned an enrollment Priority Group. Certain Veterans may be eligible for more than one Enrollment Priority Group. In that case, VA will always place you in the highest Priority Group that you are eligible. Under the VA Health Benefits Package, the same services are generally available to all enrolled Veterans. Once enrolled, you will receive a personalized Veterans Handbook, which will detail your VA health benefits and provide important information concerning your access to VA health care.

Incarcerated Veterans

"VA now offers medical benefits to enrolled Veterans who have been released from prison or jail into a temporary housing program.   On March 2, 2011, VA published a final rule in the Federal Register, Volume 76, page 11383, entitled, "Hospital and Outpatient Care for Veterans Released From Incarceration to Transitional Housing." This regulation authorizes VA to provide hospital and outpatient care to any incarcerated Veteran upon their release from prison or jail when they are being released into a temporary housing program, such as a community residential reentry center, halfway house, work release center or similar residential facility. The rule permits VA to work with these Veterans while they are in these programs with the goal of continuing to work with them after their release, which will assist in preventing homelessness in this population of Veterans.