Basic Eligibility
All Veterans who meet basic service and discharge requirements and who were exposed to toxins and other hazards while serving our country—at home or abroad—are now eligible for VA health care. This includes all Veterans who served in the Vietnam War, Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, or any other combat zone after 9/11.
Veterans may be eligible for VA health care benefits if they served in the active military, naval, or air service and didn’t receive a dishonorable discharge.
If enlisted after September 7, 1980, or entered active duty after October 16, 1981
You must have served 24 continuous months or the full period for which you were called to active duty, unless any of the descriptions below are true for you.
This minimum duty requirement may not apply if any of these are true:
- You were discharged for a disability that was caused—or made worse—by your active-duty service, or
- You were discharged for a hardship or “early out,” or
- You served prior to September 7, 1980
For more information about eligibility and to apply for benefits, visit the VA’s page on eligibility.
Enrollment
First, find out if you’re eligible for VA health care benefits.
Then, gather the information listed here that you’ll need to fill out an Application for Health Benefits (VA Form 10-10EZ). You’ll need this information:
- Social Security numbers for you, your spouse, and your qualified dependents.
- Your military discharge papers (DD214 or other separation documents), military service history information, and details about exposure to any toxins or other hazards.
- Insurance card information for all insurance companies that cover you, including any coverage provided through a spouse or significant other. This includes Medicare, private insurance, or insurance from your employer.
- Gross household income from the previous calendar year for you, your spouse, and your dependents. This includes income from a job and any other sources. Gross household income is your income before taxes and any other deductions.
- Your deductible expenses for the past year. These include certain health care and education costs.
Veterans enrolled in the VA health care system are afforded privacy rights under federal law. VA’s Notice of Privacy Practices, which describes how VA may use and disclose Veterans’ medical information, is also available for download.
The following four categories of Veterans are not required to enroll, but are urged to do so to permit better planning of health resources:
- Veterans with a service-connected disability of 50 percent or more.
- Veterans seeking care for a disability the military determined was incurred or aggravated in the line of duty, but which VA has not yet rated, within 12 months of discharge.
- Veterans seeking care for a service-connected disability only.
- Veterans seeking registry examinations (Ionizing Radiation, Agent Orange, Gulf War/Operation Iraqi Freedom and Depleted Uranium).
Priority Groups (as of April 2026)
During enrollment, each Veteran is assigned to a priority group. VA uses priority groups to balance demand for VA health care enrollment with resources.
Your priority group will be based on:
- Your military service history, and
- Your disability rating, and
- Your income level, and
- Whether or not you qualify for Medicaid, and
- Other benefits you may be receiving (like VA pension benefits)
Priority Group Descriptions
Group 1: Veterans with service-connected disabilities rated 50 percent or more and/or Veterans determined by VA to be unemployable due to service-connected conditions.
Group 2: Veterans with service-connected disabilities rated 30 or 40 percent.
Group 3: Veterans with service-connected disabilities rated 10 and 20 percent; Veterans who are former Prisoners of War (POW) or were awarded a Purple Heart medal; Veterans awarded special eligibility for disabilities incurred in treatment or participation in a VA Vocational Rehabilitation program; and Veterans whose discharge was for a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty.
Group 4: Veterans receiving aid and attendance or housebound benefits and/or Veterans determined by VA to be catastrophically disabled.
Group 5: Veterans receiving VA pension benefits or eligible for Medicaid programs, and non service-connected Veterans and non-compensable, zero percent service-connected Veterans whose gross annual household income and/or net worth are below the VA national income threshold and geographically-adjusted income threshold for their resident area.
Group 6: Veterans that have a compensable service-connected disability rated as 0% disabling; participated in Project 112/SHAD; served in World War II between December 7, 1941, and December 31, 1946; served in the Persian Gulf War between August 2, 1990, and November 11, 1998; served on active duty at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987.
Priority group 6 also includes those who:
- Served in a theater of combat operations after November 11, 1998, and
- Were discharged from active duty on or after October 1, 2013, and
- Meet the minimum active-duty service requirement
Additional categories of veterans may fall into Group 6 – eligibility should always be confirmed with your VA representative based on your service history.
Group 7: Veterans with gross household income below the geographically-adjusted income threshold (GMT) for their resident location and who agree to pay copays.
Group 8: Veterans with gross household income and/or net worth above the VA national income threshold and the geographic income threshold who agree to pay copays.
Women Veterans
Women Veterans are eligible for the same VA benefits as male Veterans. Comprehensive health services are available to women Veterans including primary care, specialty care, mental health care and reproductive health care services.
VA Community Living Centers
Community Living Centers (CLC) provide a dynamic array of short stay (less than 90 days) and long stay (91 days or more) services. Short stay services include but are not limited to skilled nursing, respite care, rehabilitation, hospice, and maintenance care for Veterans awaiting placement in the community. Short stay services are available for Veterans who are enrolled in VA health care and require CLC services. Long stay services are available for enrolled Veterans who need nursing home care for life or for an extended period of time for a service-connected disability, and those rated 60 percent service-connected and unemployable; or Veterans or who have a 70 percent or greater service-connected disability. All others are based on available resources.
Learn more about Community Living Centers and locate one near you by visiting the VA CLC home page.
Non-Institutional Long-term Care Services: In addition to nursing home care, VA offers a variety of other long-term care services either directly or by contract with community-based agencies. Such services include adult day health care, respite care, geriatric evaluation and management, hospice and palliative care, home based skilled nursing, and home based primary care. Veterans receiving these services may be subject to a co-pay.
