Am I eligible for the VA Medical Benefits Package?                                     When a Veteran calls the Veterans Affairs (VA) Eligibility Officer, the first question the Veteran is asked is, ”When were you in the military?”  If the Veteran enlisted after September 7, 1980, the next questions are, “Did you complete 24 months of continuous active duty service?”  “If not, were you discharged because of a disability or a hardship?”  “Does your DD Form 214 state this?”  “What branch of service did you serve in?”  If the Veteran completed 24 months continuous active duty service and served in the regular branch of the armed forces, he or she is eligible for VA medical care.  If the Veteran was in the Reserves, he or she is not eligible unless called up to active military by an executive order issued by the President of the United States and served the period of duty required on the orders.                                                                    Merchant Marines are only eligible if they served during World War II and have a copy of their DD Form 214 showing this service.  National Guardsmen are not eligible unless they are called up to active duty required on the orders.                                                                                                                           Once eligibility is established, Veterans are advised they may apply for health care benefits in person, by mail, the Internet or by calling 1-877-222-VETS (8387).                                                                                             Once the application is processed, a Veteran is notified by mail and given information on his or her priority group.  Priority groups distinguish between Veterans with service-connected disabilities, former Prisoners of War, Purple Heart recipients, World War I Veterans, Veterans with disabilities associated with exposure to toxic substances, and so forth.                                                                                Priority groups also determine applicable co-payments for medical care.                                                                                                         After registration, Veterans are assigned a primary health care provider who has responsibility for all their health care needs.                                      What are the Priority Groups?                                         Once you apply for enrollment, your eligibility will be verified.  Based on your specific eligibility status, you will be assigned a priority group.  The priority groups are as follows, ranging from 1-8 with 1 being the highest priority for enrollment.  Under the Medical Benefits Package, the same services are generally available to all enrolled Veterans.

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