Now Is the Best Time to Enroll in VA Health Care: Here’s Why

More than 125,000 veterans have enrolled in VA health care so far in 2026, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced in May. It was the fastest pace of enrollment the system had seen in years, and the number continues to climb as more veterans learn they may now qualify under expanded eligibility rules put in place by the PACT Act.

The VA reached the 100,000-enrollee mark on March 31, faster than it hit that milestone in six of the past seven years. The enrollment wave is being driven in part by expanded outreach and new facilities, and in larger part by a fundamental shift in who is eligible to receive VA health care under the PACT Act, which was signed into law in August 2022 and represented the largest expansion of VA benefits in decades.

What Is Driving the Enrollment Surge

Since the PACT Act took effect, more than 739,000 veterans have enrolled in VA health care, a 33 percent increase over the two-year period that preceded it. The legislation opened the system to millions of veterans who were previously ineligible, including those exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, radiation, contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, and other toxic substances encountered during military service.

Read More: PACT Act: Presumptive Conditions

The VA has also opened 35 new health care facilities since Jan. 20, 2025, expanded appointment availability to include more than 2.5 million slots outside normal operating hours in fiscal year 2025, and reduced the benefits backlog by 70 percent since the start of the current administration. Completed direct care appointments in fiscal year 2025 reached 82 million, up 4.1 percent from the prior year.

The infrastructure investment is also a factor. The VA is spending a record $4.8 billion on facility upgrades in fiscal 2026. In the second quarter alone, $596 million in specific projects were approved, including heating and cooling systems, electrical infrastructure, security systems and building modernization at medical centers across the country. For veterans who had previously avoided VA health care because of facility quality or access concerns, visible improvements at local facilities are changing the calculation.

Who Qualifies — and Who May Not Know It

The following groups generally qualify for VA health care:

• Veterans who served in a combat zone after Nov. 11, 1998 — including in Iraq and Afghanistan — are eligible for five years of enhanced enrollment from their date of discharge.
• Veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, radiation, or other toxic substances under the PACT Act, regardless of where they served.
• Veterans with service-connected disabilities at any rating level.
• Veterans who served at Camp Lejeune or Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina, between Aug. 1, 1953. and Dec. 31, 1987.
• Low-income veterans who meet VA financial thresholds, even without a service-connected disability.
• Purple Heart recipients and former prisoners of war enrolled at the highest priority level.

Veterans do not need an active disability rating or a prior VA claim to enroll in health care.

Read More: PTSD VA Ratings: What You Need to Know

What VA Health Care Covers

Enrolled veterans receive access to primary care, specialty care, mental health services, prescription medications, preventive screenings and the VA’s toxic exposure screening, which became a standard part of primary care under the PACT Act. VA research consistently shows that veterans enrolled in VA health care have better long-term health outcomes than nonenrolled veterans, and VA hospitals have outperformed non-VA hospitals in multiple quality and patient satisfaction ratings.

Costs depend on priority group assignment, which is based on service history, disability rating and income. Many veterans pay nothing for their VA care. Others pay modest copayments depending on their group.

How to Enroll

You may enroll in Va health care in the following ways:

• Online: Apply at VA.gov/health-care/how-to-apply/. It takes about 30 minutes.
• By phone: Call 877-222-8387 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Easter Time, Monday through Friday.
• In person: Visit your nearest VA medical center or clinic. Staff can assist with the application.

What you need: Social Security number and basic military service history. A DD-214 is helpful but not required — the VA can often verify service records independently.

Once enrolled, coverage is for life. You do not need to re-enroll each year.

Now Is the Time to Check Your Eligibility

Veterans who were turned away or told they were ineligible in the past may have a different answer waiting for them now. The PACT Act fundamentally changed who the VA is required to serve. The 125,000 veterans who enrolled this year are evidence that the message is getting through. If you are not one of them and have never checked your eligibility, now is the time.