Combat Veterans

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181) was signed by President Bush on January 28, 2008. This Act extends the period of enhanced enrollment opportunity for health care eligibility provided a veteran who served in a theater of combat operations after November 11, 1998 (commonly referred to as combat veterans or OEF/OIF veterans) as follows:

• Combat veterans who were discharged or released from active service on or after January 28, 2003, are now eligible to enroll in the VA health care system for five years from the date of discharge or release. This means that combat veterans who were originally enrolled based on their combat service but later moved to a lower priority category (due to the law’s former 2-year limitation) are to be placed back in the priority for combat veterans for 5 years beginning on the date of their discharge or release from active service.

  NOTE: The 5-year enrollment period applicable to these veterans begins on the discharge or separation date of the service member from active duty military service, or in the case of multiple call-ups, the most recent discharge date.

• Combat veterans who were discharged from active duty before January 28, 2003, but who did not enroll in VA health care system now have 3 years to enroll and receive care as combat veterans. This 3-year period of enhanced eligibility begins on January 28, 2008, and expires on January 27, 2011.

NOTE: Combat veterans who applied for enrollment after January 16, 2003, but were not accepted for enrollment based on the application being outside the previous post-discharge two year window will be automatically reviewed and notified of the enrollment decision under this new authority.

For combat veterans to find out how this law affects you, fill out the Combat Veteran Extended Benefits Calculator.

As before, veterans enrolling under this “Combat Veteran” enhanced enrollment authority are assigned to Priority Group 6, unless eligible for a higher Priority Group, and will not be charged copays for medication and/or treatment of conditions that are potentially related to their combat service. Combat veterans are not required to disclose their income information, but may do so to determine their eligibility for a higher priority, beneficiary travel benefits and exemption of copays for care unrelated to their military service.

Veterans who enroll with VA under this enhanced enrollment authority will continue to be enrolled even after their enhanced eligibility period ends. At the end of their enhanced eligibility period, veterans enrolled in Priority Group 6 may be shifted to Priority Group 7 or 8, depending on their income level, and required to make applicable copays.

National Guard and Reserve personnel, who were activated and served in a theater of combat operations after November 11, 1998, may also be eligible for enhanced health care benefits under the “Combat Veteran” authority. To qualify, they must have been discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable; and served the period they were called to duty.

For questions concerning Combat Veteran eligibility, visit Combat Veteran Frequently Asked Questions.

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For questions about Health Care Eligibility, please visit the VA inquiry website.