VA Health Care Eligibility &
Enrollment

Changes
to the Priority Group 8 Enrollment Restriction

In 2003, VA made the difficult decision to stop enrolling new
Priority Group (high income) Veterans in order to assure all Veterans are
provided timely and quality medical care. New regulations take effect on June
15, 2009 that will allow VA to reopen enrollment healthcare to Veterans whose
household income does not exceed the current VA income thresholds (means test
threshold and/or geographical means test threshold) by more than 10%. More than
266,000 Veterans may now be eligible for enrollment.

Denied
Enrollment On or After January 1, 2009

If you have applied for enrollment on or after January 1, 2009 and
you were denied enrollment because your income exceeded the VA income
threshold, VA will determine if you are eligible under this new rule, once the
new regulations take effect. You will not need to submit another application for
enrollment. If you are eligible under this new rule, we will notify you by
mail. You will receive a letter from the VA Health Eligibility Center notifying
you of your eligibility for enrollment and welcoming you to the VA health care
system. Included with the letter will be instructions for getting care and how
to obtain a Veterans
Identification Card.

Denied
Enrollment Before January 1, 2009

If you applied for enrollment before January 1, 2009, and were
denied enrollment because your income was too high, VA encourages you to take
advantage of this enrollment
calculator to assist you in determining if you are now eligible for
enrollment under this new regulation. Whatever your enrollment determination,
VA encourages all Veterans to apply for enrollment as this will help us in our
future planning and budget efforts as well as allow us to be in a better position
to identify necessary funding levels to Congress.

Determine
if You May Be Eligible

To determine if you may be eligible under this new regulation, we
have developed this enrollment
calculator which will help you in determining if your income falls within
the new 10% income threshold guidelines. Once you have entered all required
information below, this calculator will determine if you may be eligible for
enrollment under the new rule.

The proposed changes (defined in Public Law 110-329) provide VA
additional funding to allow expanded enrollment opportunity for certain
Priority 8 veterans who may have been previously denied enrollment in
VA’s health care system because their income exceeded VA’s means
tests thresholds.

On the effective date of the regulation, a veteran who applies for
enrollment, who does not qualify for a higher priority group and whose income
exceeds VA’s means test thresholds by 10% or less will be placed in a priority
group that allows the veteran to be enrolled in VA’s health care system.

Other References:

Enrollment
Calculator

VA
to Offer Health Care to Previously Ineligible Veterans Press Release

Relaxation
of Priority Group 8 Enrollment Restrictions Fact Sheet

Relaxation
of Priority Group 8 Enrollment Restrictions Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

10%
Increase to Financial Income Thresholds for Enrollment in Priority Group 8

10%
Increase to VA Geographic Means Test Income Thresholds for Enrollment in Priority
Group 8

Federal Benefits for Veterans and
Dependents

VA National Means Test Income
Threshold | GMT Income Threshold