Enhanced VA Health Care Benefits for Combat Veterans

Most veterans including National Guard and Reservists, who served in a theater of combat operations after November 11, 1998, are eligible to receive cost-free VA health care for combat-related conditions and enhanced enrollment priority for 5 years after separation from active duty. Combat veterans not previously enrolled who separated from active duty prior to January 28, 2003, are eligible for the enhanced benefits until January 27, 2011.

We encourage veterans to enroll with VA during this enhanced eligibility period to take advantage of these special benefits. Applying for enrollment is as easy as completing VA Form 10-10EZ, Application for Health Benefits.

Once enrolled, veterans may start receiving VA health care right away.

Traveling or Moving? No problem! Health care benefits are portable throughout the entire VA system. VA operates 155 medical centers and over 1,400 clinics and other sites of care to serve our nation's veterans.

One-Time Outpatient Dental Treatment

Veterans who served on active duty 90 days or more are eligible for one-time dental treatment if their certificate of discharge does not indicate they received necessary dental care within 90 days of separation and they apply for a VA dental exam within 180 days of separation.

VA provides further dental examinations and benefits to veterans with service-related dental conditions.

Visit the VA's Office of Dentistry for general patient information.

More Information

More information on enrollment, health and dental benefits is available at www.va.gov/healtheligibility.