Education Health

What Veterans Are Eligible for VA Health Care?

Being active as a service member has a lot of benefits such as enrollment into the veterans health care program which is catered for by the department of defense. On top of healthcare benefits, you can enjoy mortgage benefits, business loans, retirement loans, court favors among others.

To benefit health-wise, there are certain criteria you have to fulfill depending on the benefits you would like to enjoy. There are, however, general benefits anyone active as a service member can enjoy without determining the level they serve in.

What are some eligible categories for one to enjoy healthcare benefits?

Old woman’s hands holding an American flag
  • One must be an active member of the military for not less than a year to be eligible for health care packages. If one is no longer active but was honorably discharged from active service, they are still eligible for health care packages.
  • Those who are current or former reserves or National Guard called to duty by Feral order are eligible for VA healthcare. However, they must have completed the period assigned to them by the feral order.

Those discharged and who would wish to benefit from the program have to prove they were discharged under the right procedures.

  • Retired members can also benefit from this package as Returning Service Members. The healthcare package is active to those returning five years after the day they were discharged. Under this category, one has to have been honorably discharged from active service.
  • Combat veterans under Combat Veteran Authority can be enrolled in the program as well. However, they can be enrolled in a lower priority group after their enhanced eligibility period.

Benefits of being enrolled in the veterans health care program

  1.   Your hospital bills are catered for. This goes under the category of both inpatients and outpatients.
  2.   In case you are to undergo surgery from injuries related to active service, the medical bills and after-care are catered for by the government.
  3.   Medication equipment such as eye care, hearing aids, movement aids among others acquired from injuries relating to work are catered for by the government
  4.   Since veterans go through a lot of traumatic experiences, they may need counseling services or mental wellness services, the eligible categories can attend such services for free.
  5.   In case veterans eligible for medical care need medical services such as check-ups, immunization, lab checks, or vaccines, they can access them for free while the government caters for the bills.

To attain a medical care program even though you are eligible for one, you need to fill in some forms from the department of defense with your personal information. Most health care facilities outside veteran facilities comply with this act of government and offer veterans free medical services.

In conclusion, it is important to enroll in a veteran healthcare program as it can help you in the future when you need help in medical care. There are several categories you can enroll in, from category one to category 8. The lower the category, the more the health benefits and advantages you can access.

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