The Veterans Health Administration is America\u2019s largest integrated health care system, serving over 8.5 million veterans each year.\u00a0 A veteran who served in the active military and was separated from service under any condition other than dishonorable may qualify for VA health care benefits.\u00a0 The total number of VA treatment sites is now over 1,400 and services provided include primary care, in-patient and specialty care, dental care, prescriptions, and mental health support and services. Many of our clients and their loved ones are already making use of VA\u2019s health care benefits or might want to consider doing so.<\/p>\n
For purposes of determining eligibility, VA divides all potential health care benefit applicants into eight different \u201cPriority Groups.\u201d The groups relate to characteristics of the veteran\u2019s service.\u00a0 Retirees from military service, veterans with service-connected injuries or conditions rated by VA, and Purple Heart recipients, are all within the higher Priority Groups.\u00a0 Which Priority Groups are deemed eligible for which benefit programs tends to vary from one presidential administration to the next.\u00a0 Placement in a specific Priority Group will not only affect whether or not a veteran is eligible to receive care but will also affect the amount of a co-pay the veteran must pay for services received.<\/p>\n
In general, the highest Priority Groups are automatically eligible for health care benefits.\u00a0 For the lower Priority Groups, a veteran must meet certain financial criteria in order to be eligible.\u00a0 Currently benefit eligibility and\/or any applicable copay is dependent on the veteran\u2019s net worth and his or her previous year’s gross household income (earned and unearned income).\u00a0 However as of January 1, 2015, VA is making a change and will no longer consider the veteran\u2019s net worth as part of health care benefit eligibility.<\/p>\n
It must be noted that this change only affects enrollment in VA\u2019s health care programs, not VA\u2019s other benefit programs.\u00a0 Criteria for VA\u2019s non-service-connected \u201cPension\u201d program will remain unchanged and will still include an assessment of applicants\u2019 net worth to determine eligibility.<\/p>\n
Veterans who are already receiving non-service-connected Pension benefits or service-connected Compensation benefits will be placed in a high enough Priority Group where health care benefit eligibility will not be dependent on any further financial assessment.\u00a0 For others, the relaxation of net worth requirements referenced above may be what now permits health benefit eligibility that was not previously available.<\/p>\n