Does Va Provide Free Medical With 70 Percent Service Connected?

Table of Contents

How to Establish Eligibility for VA Medical Benefits
VA Health Intendance Eligibility Questionnaire
Applying for VA Health Care Benefits
Required Supporting Documentation
VA Wellness Care Enrollment
VA Identification Bill of fare
Options for Veterans Who Are Ineligible for VA Health Care Coverage

Many military veterans aren't aware they are eligible for VA wellness intendance benefits. The mutual misconception is that veterans can only employ VA medical intendance facilities if they have a service-connected disability rating. Veterans with a service-connected disability rating can use VA medical centers, but health care benefits aren't only limited to those individuals.

Let'south dispel some of the myths well-nigh VA health care eligibility, see who is eligible, and learn how yous can apply for VA health care benefits.

2 things to retrieve:

This is only full general data. Each case is unique, and final benefits decisions residual with the VA.
VA health intendance eligibility only ways y'all can visit VA medical centers and clinics for wellness care. It does not necessarily mean all health care is 100% free (some medical intendance may be complimentary, however, many veterans may be required to pay a co-pay).

In that location may exist limitations on the type of wellness intendance you may be eligible for, and some medical care may require a co-pay or other associated cost, depending on your VA Priority Group, the nature of your coverage, and the medical care you receive.

How to Found Eligibility for VA Medical Benefits

VA health care eligibility is based upon active duty military service in the Air Force, Army, Marines, Navy, Coast Guard, or Merchant Marines (during WWII).

Members of the National Guard and Reserves may be eligible for VA health care benefits if they were called to active duty on a Federal Executive Order (this more often than not excludes agile duty for grooming purposes). Other groups of servicemembers may also be eligible for VA medical intendance.

Misconceptions most VA wellness care eligibility: It is non a requirement to accept served in gainsay or in a war zone. Yous do not demand a service-connected disability rating. You did non need to be injured or wounded while in the service.

VA wellness intendance eligibility factors: VA wellness care eligibility is based on many issues, including active duty military machine service, type of armed forces discharge, service-connected disabilities, medical atmospheric condition incurred while in the service, location of service, and more. You can be eligible based on your service dates, deployments you lot served on, or other criteria.

VA Health Intendance Eligibility Questionnaire

Allow's start by looking at some basic eligibility requirements, based on the VA health care eligibility questionnaire:

one. Are any of these statements true?

You served in the active military, naval, or air service and were discharged or released with a rating of Honorable or General under Honorable Conditions
You were/are a Reservist or National Guard fellow member and you were chosen to agile duty past a Federal Social club (for other than training purposes) and you lot completed the full call-upward period

Veterans have the pick of selecting yeah or no.

If y'all answer yes, you will exist taken to the following question: Are any of these statements true?

You were discharged or separated for medical reasons, early on out, or hardship
You served in theater of combat operations within the by v years
Yous were discharged from the military because of a inability (not preexisting)
Y'all are a former Prisoner of War
You received a Imperial Heart Medal
You receive VA pension or disability benefits
You receive state Medicaid benefits
Served in the Commonwealth of Vietnam from January 9, 1962 to May seven, 1975
Served in the Persian Gulf from August two, 1990 to Nov xi, 1998

If you answer Yes to the 2d question, you most likely authorize for VA health care. You can skip to the section beneath, labeled "Applying for VA Health Care Benefits."

If you answer No to either of the two questions above, you may yet be eligible for VA medical benefits based on criteria such every bit your war machine service or household income. You will need to submit an application for VA health intendance benefits to acquire more based on your specific information.

Important notation about household income:

In 2015, the VA eliminated the use of internet worth every bit a determining factor for both health intendance programs and copayment responsibilities. The VA volition now only consider a Veteran's gross household income and deductible expenses from the previous yr.

The VA automatically determines the veteran's income and deductible expenses by matching records with the Internal Revenue Service and Social Security Administration.

This reduces the brunt on the veteran to file an almanac income eligibility class each year. It is estimated that this change volition enable some 190,000 more veterans to become eligible for wellness care benefits in the next 5 years. Acquire more than.

Applying for VA Health Intendance Benefits

Once yous have established your eligibility for VA health care benefits, y'all will need to fill up out Class ten-10EZ or Form 10-10EZR to apply for benefits. These forms are as well used to update your electric current information if anything has changed. There are several ways you lot tin can fill out or update the x-10EZ: online, by telephone, past mail, or in-person at a VA medical facility. Here is the info y'all need:

Online: Visit this link and make full out the grade.
Phone: Call 1-877-222-VETS (8387), Mon-Fri, eight:00 am – 8:00 pm EST. A VA rep will transport you a completed form via mail. You will need to verify and sign the course, then return information technology to the VA.
Postal service: Complete Form ten-10EZ or Form x-10EZR and mail information technology to Health Eligibility Center, 2957 Clairmont Road, Suite 200, Atlanta, GA 30329-1647.
In person: Visit any VA Medical Center or clinic. Hither is the VA Directory.

Required Supporting Documentation

Yous can reduce the awarding processing time past providing information nigh your service when you apply. This includes documentation such as your DD-Form 214 or other military discharge paperwork, service records that indicate y'all were a Pw or received a Royal Centre, or records that show you received hostile fire or imminent danger pay or a gainsay medal.

VA Health Care Enrollment

This commodity covers how to enroll in the VA health care system.

Applying with for 10-10EZ and providing all relevant data will generally enroll you in the VA medical care system. Almost veterans will automatically remain enrolled in the arrangement from year to year. However, some veterans will demand to found eligibility each year to maintain their enrollment priority. This is generally the instance for veterans who qualify for VA medical intendance based on their income or other information that can change from twelvemonth to twelvemonth.

Other veterans may be eligible based on returning from a gainsay zone inside the last five years. Enrollment Priority may change based on the date they returned from the combat zone. The VA will contact yous when they demand additional information to maintain your enrollment priority.

VA Identification Carte

Veterans who are eligible for VA wellness intendance are likewise eligible to receive a Veterans Health Care Identification Card which is used to access VA medical care. These cards have a designation on them indicating a service-continued disability, Purple Heart, or old POW status if applicable.

The only official use of the card is to receive medical intendance at VA Medical Facilities, but many veterans also like to show this card as proof of military service if they no longer have a Military ID Card or do non have a state-issued ID card with a veterans designation. This card is only available to veterans who are eligible for VA medical care.

Eligible veterans can apply for a VA ID Card at any VA medical facility. They must fill out the ten-10EZ and accept their picture taken. The VA then verifies eligibility and sends out the card within vii-10 business days.

There is a different VA ID Carte du jour which is available to all veterans. This card is free from the VA, but is not intended to exist used for any specific veterans benefits.

Options for Veterans Who Are Ineligible for VA Health Care Coverage

Veterans who are not eligible for VA health care should expect into other wellness insurance options, such as an employer-sponsored health care program, health insurance through a spouse, joining a trade organization that offers health insurance, or purchasing an individual health care programme from the Affordable Care Human action Exchanges. This article covers health insurance options afterwards leaving the military.

Photo source: WikiMedia Commons

Ryan Guina is The Military Wallet'south founder. He is a author, pocket-size business owner, and entrepreneur. He served over half dozen years on active duty in the USAF and is a current fellow member of the Illinois Air National Baby-sit.

Ryan started The War machine Wallet in 2007 later separating from active duty war machine service and has been writing about financial, modest business concern, and military benefits topics since then. He likewise writes virtually personal finance and investing at Cash Money Life.

Ryan uses Personal Capital to runway and manage his finances. Personal Capital is a free software programme that allows him to track his cyberspace worth, balance his investment portfolio, track his income and expenses, and much more. You tin open a gratis Personal Upper-case letter business relationship here.

Featured In: Ryan'due south writing has been featured in the following publications: Forbes, Military.com, Us News & World Report, Yahoo Finance, Reserve & National Guard Magazine (print and online editions), Armed forces Influencer Magazine, Cash Money Life, The Military Guide, USAA, Become Cyberbanking Rates, and many other publications.