VA Enrollment - Priority Groups

Enrollment Priority 1

• Veterans with service-connected disabilities rated 50% or more disabling 

Enrollment Priority 2

• Veterans with service-connected disabilities rated 30% or 40% disabling 

Enrollment Priority 3

• Veterans who are former POWs  
• Veterans awarded the Purple Heart 
• Veterans whose discharge was for a disability that was incurred or aggravated in the line of duty  
• Veterans with service-connected disabilities rated 10% or 20% disabling  
• Veterans awarded special eligibility classification under Title 38, U.S.C., Section 1151, "benefits for individuals disabled by treatment or vocational rehabilitation" 

Enrollment Priority 4

• Veterans who are receiving aid and attendance or housebound benefits  
• Veterans who have been determined by VA to be catastrophically disabled

Enrollment Priority 5

• Nonservice-connected veterans and noncompensable service-connected veterans rated 0% disabled whose annual income and net worth are below the established VA Means Test thresholds  
• Veterans receiving VA pension benefits 
• Veterans eligible for Medicaid benefits

Enrollment Priority 6

• World War I veterans 
•  Mexican Border War veterans  
•  Compensable 0% service-connected veterans 
• Veterans solely seeking care for disorders associated with:
• exposure to herbicides while serving in Vietnam; or
• exposure to ionizing radiation during atmospheric testing or during the occupation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; or 
• for disorders associated with service in the Gulf War;
• for illness possibly related to participation in Project 112/SHAD; or 
• for any illness associated with service in combat in a war after the Gulf War or during a period of hostility after November 11, 1998

Enrollment Priority 7

Veterans who agree to pay specified copayments with income and/or net worth above the VA Means Test threshold and income below the HUD geographic index 

• Subpriority a: Noncompensable 0% service-connected veterans who were enrolled in the VA Health Care System on a specified date and who have remained enrolled since that date  
• Subpriority c: Nonservice-connected veterans who were enrolled in the VA Health Care System on a specified date and who have remained enrolled since that date  
• Subpriority e: Noncompensable 0% service-connected veterans not included in Subpriority a above  
• Subpriority g: Nonservice-connected veterans not included in Subpriority c above 

Enrollment Priority 8

Veterans who agree to pay specified copayments with income and/or net worth above the VA Means Test threshold and the HUD geographic index 

• Subpriority a: Noncompensable 0% service-connected veterans enrolled as of January 16, 2003 and who have remained enrolled since that date 
• Subpriority c: Nonservice-connected veterans enrolled as of January 16, 2003 and who have remained enrolled since that date 
• Subpriority e: Noncompensable 0% service-connected veterans applying for enrollment after January 16, 2003 
• Subpriority g: Nonservice-connected veterans applying for enrollment after January 16, 2003Veterans with service-connected disabilities rated 50% or more

Additional Information:

The term service-connected means, with respect to a condition or disability, that VA has determined that the condition or disability was incurred in or aggravated by military service.  Some veterans may have to agree to pay copayments to be placed in certain priority groups.