Eligibility for VA health care is separate from disability compensation. You do not need a service-connected disability rating to enroll in VA health care, though your rating and income level affect which Priority Group you're placed in and whether you owe copays. To apply, you file VA Form 10-10EZ, Application for Health Benefits, either online through VA.gov, by mail, by phone, or in person at a VA medical center or clinic.
Eligibility is generally based on having served the minimum active-duty service requirement and having a discharge that was not dishonorable. Five years of active duty with an honorable discharge should satisfy the basic service requirement. Beyond that, the VA looks at your household income compared to published means-test thresholds, unless you qualify for an exemption. Veterans who served in a combat theater, or who have a compensable service-connected condition, are typically not subject to the same income limits, and combat veterans (including many who served after November 11, 1998) may qualify for enhanced enrollment eligibility for a period of years after separation under what is often called the Combat Veteran eligibility provision.
Official 2026 VA monthly compensation, including the 2.8% COLA increase.
Dependent add-ons start at a 30% rating. Child-only and dependent-parent rates: see the full 2026 pay chart.
| Rating | Monthly (2026, incl. 2.8% COLA) |
|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 |
| 20% | $356.66 |
| 30% | $552.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 |
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Analyze my claim free →If you were deployed and treated for conditions during service, and those conditions may be linked to your deployment (for example, exposures covered under the PACT Act, such as burn pits, or other environmental hazards), it is worth filing a disability claim for those conditions even years after discharge. A grant of service connection, even at a low percentage, can improve your priority group placement and reduce or eliminate the means test income limitation. You do not need to wait for a compensation claim to be resolved before applying for health care enrollment; the two processes run separately, though a rating decision can later upgrade your priority group.
Because you mentioned income concerns and inability to afford other insurance, it is also worth knowing that VA has income thresholds specific to your state and household size, and some veterans who are initially denied due to income can still qualify under a hardship or other exception, or through eligibility for VA's medical care cost recovery adjustments.
The concrete next step is to submit VA Form 10-10EZ as soon as possible, either online at VA.gov or at your nearest VA medical center, and separately file a disability compensation claim (VA Form 21-526EZ) for any conditions documented in your military medical records, since a favorable rating can directly improve your health care priority status and reduce costs.
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