VA Health Care Eligibility

The VA Health System is based on three things:

  1. Your Veterans Status
  2. Your Disability
  3. Your Income

VA Priority Groups

Priority Group 1

  • Veterans with service-connected disabilities rated by VA as 50% or more disabling.
  • Veterans determined by VA to be unemployable due to service-connected conditions.
  • Veterans who have been awarded the Medal of Honor (MOH).

Priority Group 2

  • Veterans with service-connected disabilities rated by VA as 30% or 40% disabling.

Priority Group 3

  • Veterans who are former Prisoners of War (POWs).
  • Veterans who have been awarded a Purple Heart medal.
  • Veterans whose discharge was for a disability that was incurred or aggravated in the line of duty.
  • Veterans with service-connected disabilities rated by VA as 10% or 20% disabling.
  • Veterans who have been awarded special eligibility classification under Title 38, U.S.C., § 1151, “benefits for individuals disabled by treatment or vocational rehabilitation.”

Priority Group 4

  • Veterans who receive aid and attendance or housebound benefits from VA.
  • Veterans who have been determined by VA to be catastrophically disabled.

Priority Group 5

  • Veterans with a nonservice-connected or non-compensable service-connected disability and Veterans rated by VA as 0% disabled and who have an annual income below the VA’s geographically-adjusted income limit (based on your resident ZIP code).
  • Veterans receiving VA pension benefits.
  • Veterans eligible for Medicaid programs.

Priority Group 6

    • Veterans with a compensable 0% service-connected disability.
    • Veterans exposed to ionizing radiation during atmospheric testing or during the occupation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
    • Project 112/SHAD participants.
    • Veterans of the Mexican border period or of World War I
    • Veterans who served in the Republic of Vietnam between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975.
    • Veterans of the Persian Gulf War who served between August 2, 1990, and November 11, 1998.
    • Veterans who served on active duty at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987.
    • Currently enrolled Veterans and new enrollees who served in a theater of combat operations after November 11, 1998, and those who were discharged from active duty on or after January 28, 2003, are eligible for the enhanced benefits for five years post discharge

Note: At the end of this enhanced enrollment priority group placement time period, Veterans will be assigned to the highest PG for which their status at that time qualifies.

Priority Group 7

  • Veterans with gross household income below the geographically-adjusted VA income limit for their resident location and who agree to pay copayments.

Priority Group 8

  • Veterans with gross household incomes above the VA income limits and the geographically- adjusted income limits for their resident location, and who agree to pay copayments.

Veterans eligible for enrollment:

Veterans who are rated with a noncompensable 0% service-connected and are:

  • Subpriority a: enrolled as of January 16, 2003, and who have remained enrolled since that date and/or were placed in this subpriority due to changed eligibility status.
  • Subpriority b: enrolled on or after June 15, 2009, and whose income exceeds the current VA income limits or the geographically-adjusted VA income limits by 10% or less.

Veterans who are nonservice-connected and:

  • Subpriority c: enrolled as of January 16, 2003, and who have remained enrolled since that date and/or were placed in this subpriority due to changed eligibility status.
  • Subpriority d: enrolled on or after June 15, 2009, and whose income exceeds the current VA income limit and geographic income limit by 10% or less.

Veterans not eligible for enrollment:

Veterans not meeting the criteria above:

  • Subpriority e: noncompensable 0% service-connected (eligible for care of their service-connected condition only).
  • Subpriority g: nonservice-connected.

What is a VA service-connected rating,

A service-connected rating is an official ruling by VA Regional Office that your illness or condition is directly related to your active military service.

Click HERE to see if you may be eligible.

Back To Top