Health Insurance for the Military, Veterans, and Their Families

If you, your spouse, or your child’s parent served in the military or died or became disabled while serving, you may qualify for military or veterans’ health coverage instead of coverage through your work or your state health insurance Marketplace.

There are 3 main healthcare options for veterans, service members, and their families:

• VA health benefits provide care for eligible veterans directly through VA medical centers and clinics.
• TRICARE provides healthcare coverage for active duty or retired service members and their families.
• CHAMPVA helps cover the cost of care for some family members of veterans who do not qualify for TRICARE.

VA health benefits

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is part of the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). It provides healthcare for eligible veterans through VA medical centers, clinics, and other care sites across the US.

You may qualify for VA healthcare if you meet both of these requirements:

• You served on active duty in the military
• You did not receive a dishonorable discharge

In general, you must also meet 1 of these service requirements:

• You enlisted after September 7, 1980
• You entered active duty after October 16, 1981, and served at least 24 continuous months or completed your full required service time

Some people may still qualify even if they do not meet these criteria. This may include people who were discharged for a disability that was caused or made worse by their active-duty service, or for hardship or early discharge (early out). The minimum duty requirement may also not apply to those who served before September 7, 1980.

If you served in the Reserves or National Guard, you may qualify if you were called to active duty under federal orders and completed the full time you were ordered to serve. Training duty alone does not qualify for VA healthcare.

People who served in certain places and times during the Vietnam War era may also be eligible.

Even if you don’t qualify for VA healthcare, you can still get some free VA mental health services. Some of these services include:

• Counseling (for individuals, groups, couples, or families)
• Care for military sexual trauma
• Help for substance use
• Medicines
• Tele-mental health visits
• Peer support
• Online tools and apps

Learn more about getting VA health benefits and VA mental health services.

How the PACT Act expands eligibility

For veterans exposed to certain toxic substances during military service, the PACT Act (Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022) expands VA healthcare and benefits. This law provides access for several groups of veterans, including Vietnam era, Gulf War era, and post-9/11 combat veterans.

The PACT Act added more than 20 conditions and 11 types of cancers to the VA’s military service presumptive conditions list. If a veteran is diagnosed with 1 of these conditions or cancers, the VA assumes that toxic exposure during military service led to the diagnosis.

Veterans who have a presumptive condition may be eligible for VA disability compensation. In some cases, surviving family members may also be eligible for certain benefits.

Learn more about the VA PACT Act.

Healthcare coverage through TRICARE

TRICARE is the healthcare program for the US Department of Defense. It provides healthcare coverage for active duty and retired service members, as well as their dependents, survivors, and other eligible groups.

You may be eligible for TRICARE if you are:

• An active duty service member
• A retired service member
• A family member of either

Members of the National Guard or Reserves and their families may also qualify.

Other eligible groups include Medal of Honor recipients and their families, and surviving family members of service members.

To use TRICARE benefits, family members must be enrolled in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). This system confirms eligibility for TRICARE coverage.

Learn more about TRICARE.

Healthcare cost sharing through CHAMPVA

The Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) is a health benefits program that helps cover the cost of certain healthcare services for eligible family members of veterans. The VA shares the cost of care for people who qualify.

You may be eligible for CHAMPVA if you are the spouse, surviving spouse, or dependent child of a veteran who is disabled from service or who has died due to military service. You cannot be eligible for TRICARE benefits.

If you are age 65 and older, you must have Medicare Parts A and B, or a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C) to receive CHAMPVA benefits.

Children may be covered until age 18. If they are still in school at an accredited institution, coverage may continue until age 23.

Learn more about CHAMPVA.

Need more information?

Here are other organizations that might have helpful information for veterans:

Medicare – US Department of Health and Human Services
Toll-free number: 1-800-633-4227
TTY: 1-877-486-2048
Website: www.medicare.gov

Answers questions, provides literature, and gives referrals to state Medicare offices and local HMOs with Medicare contracts.

US Department of Labor, Employee Benefits, Security Administration (EBSA)

Toll-free number: 1-866-444-3272
Website: www.dol.gov/ebsa

Information on employee benefit laws and requirements of employer-based health coverage. Special information for military reservists who must leave their private employers for active duty can be found at: www.dol.gov/elaws/vets/userra/mainmenu.asp