200,000 Veterans Have Enrolled in VA Health Care in 2026 — a New Record. Here’s Who’s Eligible

More than 200,000 veterans had enrolled in VA health care in 2026 as of early July, the fastest pace of new enrollment the system has ever recorded, the Department of Veterans Affairsannounced. The milestone extends a trend that began accelerating in 2023 following the PACT Act’s passage, which opened VA health care eligibility to millions of veterans with toxic exposure histories who had previously been excluded from the system.

The 200,000 figure represents new enrollees only, veterans who had not previously been enrolled in VA health care and had signed up for the first time in 2026. It does not include veterans who were already in the system. The cumulative pace of new enrollment since the PACT Act took effect now exceeds 739,000 veterans, a 33 percent increase over the two-year period that preceded the legislation.

“These 200,000 veterans all made the decision in 2026 to take advantage of the care and benefits they’ve earned,” VA Secretary Doug Collins said in the announcement. “We want every eligible veteran to know that VA is here for them.”Read More:These Are the Wait Times for VA Claim, Benefits Processing in 2026

What’s Driving New Enrollment

The primary driver remains the PACT Act, signed into law in August 2022, which represents the largest expansion of VA benefits in decades. The legislation established presumptive service connection for dozens of conditions linked to burn pit exposure, Agent Orange, radiation and other toxic substances encountered during military service. It extended VA health care eligibility to veterans who had been unable to establish a service-connected condition under the previous evidentiary standard.

Expanded outreach is also a factor. The VA has opened 35 new health care facilities since January 2025 and offered more than 2.8 million appointments outside normal operating hours in fiscal year 2025. The VA’s toxic exposure screening program, which became a standard part of primary care visits under the PACT Act, is identifying veterans with previously undocumented exposure histories and connecting them to benefits they were not aware they qualified for.

Read More: Here’s How to Attend One of the VA’s ‘Freedom 250’ Enrollment Events This Summer

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Who May Still Be Missing Out

Despite the enrollment surge, a significant portion of the estimated 18 million to 19 million living veterans remain outside the VA health care system. Veterans least likely to be enrolled include those who separated before the PACT Act’s passage and were previously told they did not qualify, those with lower disability ratings who assumed VA health care was only for higher-rated veterans, and post-9/11 combat veterans who may have assumed their five-year enhanced enrollment window had closed without checking current eligibility rules.

The VA does not require a disability rating to enroll in health care. Veterans who served in a combat zone after Nov. 11, 1998, are eligible for five years of enhanced enrollment from their discharge date, regardless of whether they have a service-connected disability. Veterans with PACT Act-covered toxic exposures can enroll regardless of when they served. Low-income veterans who meet VA financial thresholds may also qualify even without a service-connected condition.Read More: PACT Act: Presumptive Conditions

How to Enroll

Veterans can apply for VA health care online at va.gov/health-care/apply, by calling 877-222-8387 Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time, or in person at any VA medical center. The application takes approximately 30 minutes online. A DD-214 is helpful but not required; VA can verify service records independently in most cases. Once enrolled, coverage is for life with no annual re-enrollment requirement.

Veterans who were previously told they did not qualify should recheck their eligibility. The PACT Act changed the rules for millions of veterans, and a determination made before 2023 may no longer accurately reflect a veteran’s current eligibility status.