How to Qualify for VA Medical Coverage

By Marci Sothern

In 1636, the pilgrims of Plymouth Rock began the legacy of providing assistance for military veterans by passing a law stating that disabled soldiers from the war with the Pequot Indians would be supported by the colony. This system of providing benefits evolved over the years, until Congress authorized President Herbert Hoover to establish the Veterans Administration (VA) in 1930. Since then, the VA has been providing medical care for the veterans of America's armed forces. Almost all veterans are eligible for health-care benefits.

The Department of Veterans Affairs states that most veterans are eligible for enrollment in their health-care system. Veterans of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard are eligible for most health benefits, as long as they were honorably discharged. Service in combat is not a condition for eligibility. However, certain Reservists and National Guard members are eligible for some benefits if they were called to active duty by a Federal Executive Order, or if they are returning from service in a theater of combat. Benefits are provided for all medical condition and injuries, not just those received in combat. The VA offers both men and women full-service health care.

To find out if you qualify, fill out VA Form 10-10EZ to apply for health benefits, which you can find online at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website. You do not need to finish this application in one sitting. Once you start an application you may save it anytime during the process and complete it later. You also may request this form by calling the Veterans Administration at (877) 222-8387 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. eastern time, Monday to Friday. The VA will use the information provided on this form to determine your eligibility for health-care coverage in a two-step process.

The VA looks at the nature of your discharge from the service and the length of your service depending on when you served. You must have been honorably discharged after having served for at least 24 consecutive months. This length of service requirement does not pertain to enlisted personnel who started active duty before September 8, 1980, or to officers who entered active service prior to October 17, 1981. According to the Veterans Administration, there might be some exceptions to these requirements in some individual cases, so you might want to call the toll-free number to discuss your individual situation with a VA representative.

Once you meet these criteria, then the VA must determine whether you qualify for membership in one of the eight priority enrollment groups, who are entitled to receive health-care benefits; however, some veterans do not have to be enrolled in any of these groups to receive medical care. Veterans who are 50 percent or more disabled from a service-related condition or who are seeking care only for a service-connected disability do not need to be enrolled to receive benefits.

Once enrolled in the VA health-care system, you are permanently enrolled and may seek treatment at any of the 1,400 care facilities across the country without reapplying.

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