Yes. VA health care enrollment is a separate system from VA disability compensation, and you do not need a service-connected disability rating to enroll or receive care. Eligibility for VA health care is based primarily on your discharge status and length of service, not on whether you filed a disability claim.
To apply, you file VA Form 10-10EZ (Application for Health Benefits), which can be submitted online through VA.gov, by mail, by phone, or in person at any VA medical center. Once enrolled, the VA places you into one of several Priority Groups that determine your copay obligations and how quickly certain services are scheduled. These groups are based on factors like disability rating (if any), income level, and specific service-related circumstances such as combat service or exposure to toxic substances.
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 →Combat veterans who served in a theater of combat operations after November 11, 1998, have historically been eligible for an enhanced enrollment period (commonly five years from the date of discharge) during which VA health care is provided at no cost for conditions possibly related to that service, without a means test. If it has been longer than that window since your last qualifying deployment, this specific provision would no longer apply directly, but you can still enroll under standard eligibility rules.
Because you report being currently unemployed and without other health insurance, you should complete the financial/means test section of the 10-10EZ. Depending on your household income, you may qualify for a low- or no-cost Priority Group even without a disability rating. VA does not require you to have a disability claim pending in order to be seen for non-service-connected conditions like your chest pain; you can be enrolled and scheduled for a primary care appointment, who can then order any needed diagnostic workup.
Separately, if you believe your military service, including any environmental or occupational exposures during your deployment, may be connected to underlying health issues, you can also file a disability claim independently (VA Form 21-526EZ) at any time. That process runs on its own timeline and does not need to happen before you can access medical care.
The concrete next step is to submit VA Form 10-10EZ now, either online at VA.gov or at your nearest VA medical center, so you can get enrolled and scheduled for a primary care evaluation of your chest pain.
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