VA health care, in plain English

Who can get VA health care

The baseline is simple. You served in the active military, naval or air service and you didn't get a dishonorable discharge. If you enlisted after September 7, 1980, or entered active duty after October 16, 1981, you generally need 24 continuous months or the full period you were called up for. That minimum doesn't apply if you were discharged for a disability caused or made worse by active duty, discharged for hardship or an "early out," or served before September 7, 1980.

Guard and Reserve members qualify through active duty on federal orders. Active duty for training only does not count. And veterans who meet the basic service and discharge rules and were exposed to toxins or other hazards are eligible.

You do not need a disability rating to enroll. A lot of veterans never check because they assume otherwise.

Source: VA.gov — Eligibility for VA health care (checked 2026-10)

How to apply

The application is VA Form 10-10EZ. You can do it four ways:

• Online at VA.gov.
• By phone: 877-222-8387, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET.
• By mail: Health Eligibility Center, PO Box 5207, Janesville, WI 53547-5207.
• In person at your nearest VA medical center or clinic, with a signed 10-10EZ.

An accredited VSO representative, attorney or claims agent can also help you fill it out. The VSO help is free.

Source: VA.gov — How to apply for VA health care (checked 2026-10)

Priority groups, decoded

Once you apply, VA places you in one of eight priority groups. Group 1 is the highest. Your group affects how soon you can enroll and what you may pay. Roughly:

That is the short version. The official page has every condition and the income-limit lookup.

Source: VA.gov — VA priority groups (checked 2026-10)

The PACT Act and toxic exposure

The PACT Act was signed into law on August 10, 2022. Its full name is the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act. It expanded VA health care and benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances.

Source: VA Public Health — PACT Act information for community providers (checked 2026-10)

What it means for you:

• Earlier enrollment. Starting March 5, 2024, VA opened health care to millions more veterans, years earlier than the law required. You can enroll without filing a disability claim first if you meet the basic rules and you served in the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, or any other combat zone after 9/11; deployed in support of the Global War on Terror; or were exposed to toxins or hazards in service, at home or abroad.
• New presumptive conditions. More than 20 for burn pits and other exposures, including several cancers, COPD, emphysema, and asthma diagnosed after service. For Agent Orange, high blood pressure and MGUS were added.
• New presumptive locations. Agent Orange: Thailand, Laos, parts of Cambodia, Guam, American Samoa and Johnston Atoll, each for set dates. Burn pits: places like Iraq and Kuwait on or after August 2, 1990, and Afghanistan, Djibouti and Syria on or after September 11, 2001.
• A toxic exposure screening for every veteran enrolled in VA health care.

VA's PACT Act line is 800-698-2411 (TTY: 711).

Source: VA.gov — The PACT Act and your VA benefits (checked 2026-10)

Community care and copays

Sometimes VA pays for you to see a doctor outside the VA. You must be enrolled in or eligible for VA health care, and your VA care team must approve it before you go, except for some urgent and emergency care. You may qualify if VA doesn't offer the service you need, your state has no full-service VA facility, you and your provider agree it's in your best medical interest, or VA can't see you within its standards. Those standards are a 30-minute average drive or 20-day wait for primary and mental health care, and a 60-minute drive or 28-day wait for specialty care.

Source: VA — Eligibility for community care (checked 2026-10)

Copays depend on your priority group, rating and income. A few rules worth knowing: with a service-connected rating of 10% or higher, you don't pay copays for outpatient or inpatient care. Care for your service-connected conditions is generally copay-free. Some services are free for everyone, including lab tests, X-rays, preventive care and immunizations. The dollar amounts are set each year; the current table took effect January 1, 2026.

Source: VA.gov — Current VA health care copay rates (checked 2026-10)

When you need someone right now

Source: Veterans Crisis Line (checked 2026-10)

For the longer haul there are Vet Centers: community counseling centers kept separate from VA medical sites so the counseling stays confidential. They offer individual, group, marriage and family counseling, bereavement and military sexual trauma counseling, and referrals. It costs nothing, has no time limit, and you don't need to be enrolled in VA health care or have a rating.

You are eligible if, among other things, you served in a combat theater or area of hostility, experienced military sexual trauma in any era, cared for or handled casualties of war, flew drones supporting combat operations, or served in a Coast Guard drug interdiction operation. Family members can take part too. The Vet Center Call Center is 877-927-8387, around the clock.

Source: Vet Centers — Eligibility and VA — Getting started with Vet Center services (PDF) (checked 2026-10)

Where to start

1. Find your DD214. Everything starts there.
2. Apply with VA Form 10-10EZ online or at 877-222-8387. Don't wait for a disability rating.
3. If you served in a PACT Act location or were exposed to toxins, say so on the application.
4. Once enrolled, ask for your toxic exposure screening.
5. If you think a condition is service connected, file an intent to file today and see Chapter 02.
6. Save 988, then 1, in your phone. Same for your nearest Vet Center.