Veterans Benefits Eligibility
ELIGIBILITY FOR HEALTHCARE BENEFITS
If you are interested in VA health benefits and services, you will need to be sure that you qualify and are eligible for benefits. While each benefit program may have its own special requirements, there are several minimum standards that every person must meet in order to be considered a veteran.
BASIC ELIGIBILITY
If a person has served on active military duty and was discharged, he or she is a veteran for the purposes of VA benefits, unless he or she received a dishonorable discharge.
If you were a member of the Reserves or National Guard, you may be eligible for VA health care benefits if you were called to active duty by a federal order and completed the full period for which you were called.
MINIMUM DUTY REQUIREMENTS
Most veterans are required to serve on active duty for 24 continuous months (or the full period for which they were called to active duty) in order to be eligible for VA benefits. This requirement can be shortened if you were injured or disabled while on active duty.
Veterans who enlisted prior to September 7, 1980 have shorter minimum duty requirements than those who enlisted after that date. If you are unsure of your eligibility, contact your local VA representative or Vets National Advocates.
ENHANCED ELIGIBILITY
Some veterans may have enhanced eligibility when applying for and receiving healthcare benefits. These people include:
- Former Prisoner of War (POW)
- Purple Heart Medal winners
- Medal of Honor winners
- Those with a service-connected disability rating of more than 10%
- Veterans receiving a VA Pension
- Those who were discharged from the military as a result of disability
- Veterans who served in a Theater of Operations for 5 years post-discharge
- Veterans who served in the Republic of Vietnam from January 9, 1962 to May 7, 1975
- Veterans who served in the Persian Gulf from August 2, 1990 to November 11, 1998
- Veterans who resided at Camp Lejeune for 30 days or more between January 1, 1957 and December 31, 1987
- Those who the VA finds to be catastrophically disabled, or
- Those with household income below the VA’s thresholds
ENROLLMENT AND PRIORITIES
After you apply for benefits, the VA will determine your eligibility using the factors listed above. If you are eligible for benefits, you will be placed in a Priority Group, which will determine your waiting time for services and benefits.
Remember that some types of health care or veterans benefits may have additional eligibility requirements.
For more information, visit Pension on the VA’s website.
