VA Health Care for Disabled Veterans

Overview

VA health care is one of the most valuable benefits available to veterans with service-connected disabilities. Depending on your disability rating, you may qualify for free or low-cost medical care covering everything from primary care and mental health to surgery and prescriptions.

Your disability rating directly affects your priority group — which determines what you pay (if anything) and how quickly you can access care.

Eligibility

You may be eligible for VA health care if you:

• Served in the active military, naval, or air service
• Were discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable
• Meet minimum service requirements (if you enlisted after September 7, 1980, or entered active duty after October 16, 1981: generally 24 continuous months or the full period you were called to active duty — this doesn’t apply if you were discharged for a service-connected disability, for hardship, or under an “early out”)

Many veterans with service-connected disabilities qualify for enrollment priority, but the exact priority group depends on the rating level and other eligibility factors.

Priority groups and disability ratings

The VA assigns enrolled veterans to one of eight priority groups. Your disability rating is the primary factor:

Priority Group 1

• Veterans with 50% or higher service-connected disability rating
• Veterans determined by the VA to be unemployable due to service-connected conditions

Benefits: No copays for outpatient care, inpatient care, or medications.

Priority Group 2

• Veterans with 30-40% service-connected disability rating

Benefits: No outpatient or inpatient copays (VA waives these for ratings of 10% or higher). Medication copays can apply to prescriptions for non-service-connected conditions.

Priority Group 3

• Veterans with 10-20% service-connected disability rating
• Former POWs
• Purple Heart recipients
• Veterans discharged for a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty

Benefits: Free care for service-connected conditions. Veterans rated 10% or 20% pay no outpatient or inpatient copays, but medication copays can apply to prescriptions for non-service-connected conditions.

Priority Group 4

• Veterans receiving Aid and Attendance or Housebound benefits
• Veterans VA has determined to be catastrophically disabled

Priority Group 5

• Veterans with no service-connected disability, or a noncompensable 0% rating, whose income is below VA’s adjusted income limits
• Veterans receiving VA pension
• Veterans eligible for Medicaid

Priority Group 6

• Veterans with a compensable 0% rating
• Veterans in special exposure or service categories, such as certain toxic-exposure, Camp Lejeune, Gulf War, and post-1998 combat theater veterans

Priority Groups 7 and 8

• Veterans whose placement depends on household income compared with VA’s income limits, and who agree to pay copays

What VA health care covers

VA health care is comprehensive and includes:

• Primary care — Routine checkups, preventive care, health screenings
• Mental health — Individual and group therapy, PTSD treatment, substance use programs, crisis intervention
• Specialty care — Cardiology, orthopedics, neurology, dermatology, and more
• Urgent and emergency care — VA emergency rooms and urgent care at approved community facilities
• Prescriptions — Medications through VA pharmacies (Priority Group 1 has no medication copays; other groups may owe copays depending on the medication and condition)
• Surgery — Inpatient and outpatient surgical procedures
• Rehabilitation — Physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy
• Vision care — Eye exams and some corrective lenses
• Hearing care — Hearing exams, hearing aids (free for service-connected hearing loss)
• Dental care — Limited (see our dental benefits guide)
• Home health care — For veterans who need skilled care at home
• Geriatric care — Adult day health care, respite care, hospice

How to enroll

Online (fastest)

1. Go to VA.gov’s health care application
2. Sign in or create a VA.gov account
3. Complete VA Form 10-10EZ
4. Submit your application

By phone

Call 877-222-8387 (Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET)

In person

Visit the enrollment office at any VA medical center. Find your nearest facility at VA.gov/find-locations.

By mail

Download and complete VA Form 10-10EZ and mail it to: Health Eligibility Center PO Box 5207 Janesville, WI 53547-5207

VA Community Care (MISSION Act)

If the VA can’t provide the care you need in a timely manner, you may be eligible for care at approved community providers through the MISSION Act. You may qualify if:

• The VA doesn’t offer the service you need
• The VA can’t provide care within designated access standards (drive time or wait time)
• You and your VA provider agree community care is in your best interest

VA must approve community care before you get it, usually through a referral from your VA care team. The main exception is urgent care: eligible enrolled veterans can use in-network community urgent care locations without a referral.

Tips for getting the most from VA health care

1. Enroll as soon as possible — Even if you don’t need care now, enrollment establishes your eligibility and priority group
2. Establish primary care — Having a VA primary care provider on record makes it easier to get referrals and specialty care
3. Use My HealtheVet — The VA’s online patient portal lets you message your care team, refill prescriptions, and view test results
4. Document everything — If you’re planning to file for a rating increase, your VA treatment records serve as evidence
5. Know your copay obligations — Copays vary by priority group and type of care. Check your current VA eligibility and copay status directly.

How VA health care connects to your disability rating

Your disability rating and VA health care work together:

• Treatment records from VA care can be used as evidence for disability claims and rating increases
• Higher ratings can improve your priority group — moving from 40% to 50% moves you into Priority Group 1, which removes medication copays
• Service-connected conditions are treated without copays regardless of your priority group
• C&P exams are separate from regular VA health care appointments — don’t confuse the two

Use our VA disability calculator to see how your combined rating affects both your monthly payment and health care eligibility.

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or medical advice. For personalized guidance, consult a VA-accredited VSO, attorney, or claims agent.