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President Herbert Hoover signed Executive Order 5398 on July 21, 1930, creating the Veterans Administration (VA). The purpose of its formation was to provide benefits, healthcare, and funerary services to military Veterans. In the years that followed, as a component of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the VA evolved into a fully fledged nationalized healthcare service, operating health care centers, clinics, and hospitals for military personnel. Its current incarnation is the Veterans Health Administration, which serves as a government-run insurance system in which beneficiaries do not make copayments, pay premiums, or deductibles. However, not everyone who served in the military qualifies for VHA insurance; it depends on the type of service and length of time served.
What is VA Health Care?
The Veterans Affairs Health Care System is the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States, with over 1300 health care facilities, 172 VA medical centers, and over 1,100 outpatient centers. The VA Health Care system currently enrolls an estimated 9 million Veterans. These centers provide a wide range of medical services, ranging from outpatient therapies to hospital-based critical care services. The center primarily caters to active duty and retired Veterans, utilizing a regional service model. Its primary goal is to deliver exceptional health care that improves the health and well-being of those who served in active combat roles.
VA Health Care Eligibility Requirements
Due to the many changes in the VA health care system over the years, there is often confusion as to who qualifies for Veterans Health Care benefits and who does not. Anyone who meets the following criteria qualifies for VA health care:
- Anyone who served active duty in any capacity prior to September 7, 1980
- Served active duty for 24 continuous months after October 16, 1981.
- Discharged for a disability caused or made worse by active duty of any length of time.
- Discharged for hardship or early out
- You are a current or former member of the National Guard who served the entire term on active duty after receiving a federal order.
- You served in certain locations or during specific time periods of the Vietnam War era.
- If you were exposed to toxins or hazards while serving at home or abroad.
- You receive VA compensation for service-connected disability.
- You receive a VA pension.
- You are a former prisoner of war (POW).
- You have received the Purple Heart.
- The individual served at least 30 days at Camp Lejeune between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987.
VA Health Care is not available to Reservists, their families, or surviving spouses. However, in some cases, this level of military personnel qualifies for TRICARE health care, which is a separate portion of the military healthcare system.
Veterans Affairs Health Care Services
Due to a rocky start and periods of underfunding, the VA health care system gained a reputation for being subpar, its clinics outdated and lacking necessary equipment and upgrades, and understaffed. However, in the modern era, Veterans Affairs Health Care Centers are just as modern, up-to-date, and, in many cases, better than many private insurance facilities. VA health care centers provide the following basic services:
- Health Exams
- Health education
- Immunizations
- Surgeries
- Medical treatments for chronic and acute conditions
- Dialysis
- Specialized care, including organ transplants, intensive care for mental and physical conditions, and traumatic injuries, is available
- VA facilities provide urgent and emergency care
- Urgent care and civilian facilities contracted by the VA are available
- Assisted living and home health care
- Prescriptions written by a VA physician
- Ambulance services
- Eye exams and glasses are routine
- Some plans include dental care
VA Community Care, which provides care to Veterans when VA cannot provide the care needed, is a subsection of the Veterans Affairs Health Care service. It is based on specific eligibility requirements, the reasonable availability of VA care nearby, and the patient’s needs and circumstances. When a Veteran needs a certain type of medical care not offered in a nearby (within 90 miles) VA facility, the patient can receive treatment at a civilian facility, for which the costs will be covered in whole or in part by the VA system. Read more about VA Community Care at this link.
Exploring Your Local VA Medical Center
The VA operates hundreds of clinics and hospitals that serve the Veteran population seeking healthcare. A typical VA medical center offers routine medical care, preventative care, checkups, and basic services. However, not every Veterans Affairs Medical Center offers the same number of specific treatments. VHA Medical Centers offer a variety of services, including traditional hospital-based ones like surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiography, and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers provide additional medical and surgical specialty treatments such as audiology and speech pathology, dermatology, dentistry, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision.
Some medical centers also provide advanced procedures, including organ transplants and plastic surgery. The main advantage of the VA health clinic model is that many forms of care happen “under one roof,” i.e., Veterans do not have to travel to many locations to receive care. A VA medical facility can perform the majority of necessary tasks, offering a more comprehensive approach compared to the private sector due to the interconnection of many services and providers.
Veterans health care centers operate on a regional basis and have different providers offering services through their centers. You can locate a provider who meets your needs by searching at this link.
Finding VA Health Care Near Me
Depending on your location, if you receive Veterans Affairs health care, you must receive services within your local VA health center. Recently, changes to these regulations allow for Veterans to receive care in civilian facilities, with the VA covering the cost of civilian treatment, though this is still in progress and ever-evolving. Most care must still take place in VA-run clinics and hospitals. A simple Google search for “VA health care near me” will bring up a list of nearby clinics, or you can go to this link and search for your nearest VA medical center. Your local VA regional office will also have information on how to contact the VA facilities in your area.
Frequently Asked Questions about VA Health Care
The US Veterans Administration is the original name of the department that administers the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), VA health care, the National Cemetery Administration (NCA), funerary services, and the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), financial assistance. The US Department of Veterans Affairs is the current name of the overall department. People often use Veterans Affairs Health Care interchangeably with VA Health.
The US Veterans Administration is the original name of the department that administers the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), VA health care, the National Cemetery Administration (NCA), funerary services, and the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), financial assistance. The US Department of Veterans Affairs is the current name of the overall department. People often use Veterans Affairs Health Care interchangeably with VA Health.
The Veterans Affairs health care system assigns priority groups to all participants based on their service, length of time, and other factors, including their income. The VA will assign you to one of eight priority categories when you apply for health care. This approach helps to ensure that Veterans in need of immediate care are able to sign up swiftly. Your priority group may influence how quickly we sign you up for health-care benefits. That may affect how much you pay for care, if any. Check out this link to see if your income relates to your benefits. This link has information on how your benefits are affected by various factors.
No, they are not, though many spouses and dependents are eligible for the TRICARE system, also administered by military health services and Veterans Affairs medical centers.
Yes, VA health care does meet the ACA requirements. During tax season, participants receive an annual proof of enrollment.
Any procedures considered elective, such as non-essential cosmetic surgery, gender reassignment procedures, unapproved treatments, certain fertility treatments, health clubs and spa treatments, and some care received in civilian centers, are included.
Understand your benefits
Before deciding to go with VA health services, be sure you understand what coverage you qualify for based on your eligibility, service, time and length of service, and any other factors that affect benefits. The Veterans Health Care system has improved tremendously over the years, with access to more clinics making the service more accessible to Veterans across the country every day. Contact your local VA clinic to check your eligibility status and what health care services your country can provide for you.
