What Every Veteran Needs to Know About VA Medical Benefits

VA medical benefits are available to eligible veterans who were wounded, injured, or became ill on Active Duty. Learn how to qualify to VA health care.
Advertising Disclosure.

Advertiser Disclosure: The Military Wallet and Three Creeks Media, LLC, its parent and affiliate companies, may receive compensation through advertising placements on The Military Wallet. For any rankings or lists on this site, The Military Wallet may receive compensation from the companies being ranked; however, this compensation does not affect how, where, and in what order products and companies appear in the rankings and lists. If a ranking or list has a company noted to be a “partner,” the indicated company is a corporate affiliate of The Military Wallet. No tables, rankings, or lists are fully comprehensive and do not include all companies or available products.

The Military Wallet and Three Creeks Media have partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. The Military Wallet and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.

Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. For more information, please see our Advertising Policy.

American Express is an advertiser on The Military Wallet. Terms Apply to American Express benefits and offers.

Did you know that as a military veteran, you may be eligible for VA medical care? This article serves as an overview of VA medical benefits. It also serves to dispel the common myths that many veterans have about VA medical benefits. For example, did you know that you do not need to be a combat veteran or have a service-connected disability rating in order to receive VA medical care?

VA Medical Benefits
Do you qualify for VA medical benefits?

Why You Should Look Into VA Medical Care Eligibility

We get old. Our bodies age, joints tighten, hair grays, unsightly growths erupt where we least expect unsightly growths to erupt, and many veterans find themselves dealing with wounds and battle scars from military service of years past.

As an Active Duty service member in the military health care system, we’re taught to “suck it up” – take a knee, pop a Motrin, and drink water. But the reality of a severely disabled veteran can’t be “sucked up.” Rather, many former service members need intensive – and sometimes expensive, healthcare.

Fortunately, health care from the Veterans Administration is available to qualified veterans, at little-to-no cost.

Your Mortgage Interest Rate — Let’s Do The Numbers
GET YOUR ACTUAL RATE
Estimated interest rate*
--

The Military Wallet's methodology:


*Rate data provided by RateUpdate.com. The displayed rates come from multiple providers and represent market averages. Your mortgage rate will differ based on individual factors like your credit score as well as differing loan types and terms offered by lenders.


Click "Get Your Actual Rate" to connect with a licensed mortgage lender for a more accurate quote.

Powered by Mortgage Research Center, LLC | NMLS 1907

World-Class Healthcare for Qualified Veterans

According to the Department of Veteran Affairs, “The United States has the most comprehensive system of assistance for veterans of any nation in the world. This benefits system traces its roots back to 1636, when the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony were at war with the Pequot Indians.” World War I instigated drastic changes in veteran benefits, including disability compensation, advanced healthcare and vocational rehabilitation. In 1930, President Hoover signed the executive order establishing the VA, as we know it today.

To qualify for VA health care benefits, one must have served on active duty in the Armed Forces and meet certain criteria. All military veterans are potentially eligible to receive VA medical care, depending on when and where they served, if they have been wounded, injured, or became ill while on Active Duty, based on income levels, or several other factors. Contrary to popular rumors, you do not need a service-connected disability to receive VA health care benefits, nor do you need to have served in combat, have been wounded, etc.

If any of the following are true, then you most likely qualify for VA health care benefits:

  • You were discharged or separated for medical reasons, early out, or hardship
  • You served in theater of combat operations within the past 5 years
  • You were discharged from the military because of a disability (not preexisting)
  • You are a Medal of Honor Recipient
  • You are a former Prisoner of War
  • You received a Purple Heart Medal
  • You receive VA pension or disability benefits
  • You receive state Medicaid benefits
  • Served in the Republic of Vietnam from January 9, 1962 to May 7, 1975
  • Served in the Persian Gulf from August 2, 1990 to November 11, 1998

These are not the only qualifiers for VA medical benefits. All veterans are encouraged to apply for VA medical care coverage to see if they are eligible for care. Despite the fact many injuries do not manifest themselves until years later, they are still capable of garnering VA assistance.

One final note: Qualifying for VA health care benefits does not mean all health care coverage is free. There may be limitations based on your Priority Group, or individual circumstances. Some veterans may also be required to pay a co-pay on their medical treatments. It is recommended that you learn your specific coverage and ask questions about coverage before receiving treatment.

Applying for VA Benefits Online

The Veterans Administration has undergone numerous changes in order to keep with the times. In days of old, an individual needed to visit their VA Regional Office, wait in line with dozens of other veterans, and fill out an overwhelming amount of paperwork.

Well, once again, things have changed. It’s the digital age, and as such, the VA has adapted. The VA now makes it easy to apply online at the VA.gov website. This is the current manifestation of veteran healthcare appeal.

The VA.gov website is “an official U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) website that enables service members, veterans and their beneficiaries, and other designated individuals to apply for benefits using the Internet.”

A virtual assistance portal, a veteran can apply for VA compensation, education, vocational rehab, employment, pension, and burial benefits.

As with older applications, you can—and should, include documentation authenticating your claims. The VA also accepts documentation via snail mail and fax – contact your VA Regional Office for contact info. Nevertheless, if already receiving VA Disability Compensation, and would like an upgrade, you can request a Statement in Support Claim (VA Form 21-4138).

This article covers the VA Medical Care Enrollment Process in more depth.

See What You Qualify For

Select a VA Home Loan Option to Continue:

Home Purchase
Home Refinance
Cash-Out Refinance
Explore My Options
Get Started

VA Disability Compensation Benefits

In addition to outstanding healthcare, the VA also dispenses monetary compensation to qualified veterans (see current service-connected disability rates). Disability compensation varies from year-to-year, reflecting the cost of living.

The amount of funds an individual receives depends on the severity of the disability. Rated and denoted as a percentage, a veteran can receive between $123 to over $3,100 per month from the VA. That’s some pretty good income supplementation, especially during this sagging economy.

Additional amounts are granted to veterans with dependent spouses, children, and parents. In addition, if a veteran dies as a result of a service-connected disability, surviving family members may also be eligible for compensation. Finally, it should be noted, Federal or State governments do not tax these benefits.

For more information regarding the Veterans Administration, VA Disability, and how it applies to you, visit www.vba.va.gov and www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/rates/comp01.htm.

About Post Author

Get Instant Access
FREE Weekly Updates! Enter your information to join our mailing list.

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave A Comment:

    Comments:

    About the comments on this site:

    These responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

  1. Alan Lewis says

    VA application states that if you meet the special eligibility criteria, no financial disclosure is needed. My father-in-law (Vietnam Vet) and I (Persian Gulf Service) both meet this criteria, however we were both placed in Group 8G (lowest) and rejected for health care because we didn’t submit our financial information. Either the application instructions are incorrect or VA employees processing applications are not following the guidance.

The Military Wallet is a property of Three Creeks Media. Neither The Military Wallet nor Three Creeks Media are associated with or endorsed by the U.S. Departments of Defense or Veterans Affairs. The content on The Military Wallet is produced by Three Creeks Media, its partners, affiliates and contractors, any opinions or statements on The Military Wallet should not be attributed to the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, the Dept. of Defense or any governmental entity. If you have questions about Veteran programs offered through or by the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, please visit their website at va.gov. The content offered on The Military Wallet is for general informational purposes only and may not be relevant to any consumer’s specific situation, this content should not be construed as legal or financial advice. If you have questions of a specific nature consider consulting a financial professional, accountant or attorney to discuss. References to third-party products, rates and offers may change without notice.

Advertiser Disclosure: The Military Wallet and Three Creeks Media, LLC, its parent and affiliate companies, may receive compensation through advertising placements on The Military Wallet. For any rankings or lists on this site, The Military Wallet may receive compensation from the companies being ranked; however, this compensation does not affect how, where, and in what order products and companies appear in the rankings and lists. If a ranking or list has a company noted to be a “partner,” the indicated company is a corporate affiliate of The Military Wallet. No tables, rankings, or lists are fully comprehensive and do not include all companies or available products.

Editorial Disclosure: Editorial content on The Military Wallet may include opinions. Any opinions are those of the author alone, and not those of an advertiser to the site nor of  The Military Wallet.

Information from your device can be used to personalize your ad experience.