Quick answer
If you served in the active military and weren’t dishonorably discharged, you may qualify for VA health care, and since March 2024 veterans who served in combat zones or were exposed to toxins can enroll without first applying for disability benefits. VA care counts as health coverage, but while you’re enrolled you can’t get a premium tax credit for a Marketplace plan. TRICARE is a separate program for service members, military retirees and their families.
Key takeaways
- Most veterans who enlisted after September 7, 1980 need 24 months of continuous active duty, or the full period they were called up for, to qualify for VA health care.
- VA puts each enrollee in one of 8 priority groups, which can affect how soon you’re enrolled and what you pay, if anything.
- Enrolled veterans can buy a Marketplace plan but can’t get a tax credit for it, while a spouse or child VA doesn’t cover may qualify for one.
- TRICARE For Life has no enrollment fee, but you need Medicare Part A and Part B, and Medicare pays first.
- VA doesn’t bill Medicare, and it encourages veterans to keep Part B because future funding could leave lower priority groups without VA care.
On this page
Who can get VA health care
You may qualify if you served in the active military, naval or air service and didn’t receive a dishonorable discharge. If you enlisted after September 7, 1980, or entered active duty after October 16, 1981, you generally need 24 continuous months of service or the full period you were called up for. Exceptions include a discharge for a disability caused or worsened by service, or for hardship. Guard and Reserve members need to have been called to active duty by federal order for something other than training.
The PACT Act opened VA care to more veterans. Since March 5, 2024, you can enroll without applying for disability benefits first if you served in the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan or any other combat zone after 9/11, deployed in support of the Global War on Terror, or were exposed to toxins or other hazards during service. Other routes include a service-connected disability, a Purple Heart, a VA pension or Medicaid eligibility. If none of that fits, you may still qualify based on income.
VA assigns every enrollee to one of 8 priority groups, from Group 1 (a service-connected disability rated 50% or more) to Group 8 (income above VA’s limits, with copays). Some Group 8 veterans can’t enroll. You can apply online, by mail, in person or with help from VA’s hotline at 877-222-8387, and VA says decisions usually take less than a week.
VA care, the Marketplace and job-based plans
VA health care counts as qualifying coverage. You can still buy a Marketplace plan, but under IRS rules you can’t get a premium tax credit while you’re enrolled in VA care. If you’re eligible for VA but haven’t enrolled, you may qualify for a tax credit based on your income, and VA disability payments don’t count as income on the application. See what counts as income.
VA doesn’t normally cover veterans’ family members. HealthCare.gov says relatives who aren’t eligible for VA coverage can buy Marketplace plans and may get lower premiums based on household income. See how premium subsidies work.
TRICARE works differently: being eligible for TRICARE Prime or Select generally rules out a tax credit even if you don’t sign up. TRICARE Reserve Select, Retired Reserve and Young Adult block the credit only once you’re enrolled.
You can also keep a job-based plan and use VA. VA has to bill your private insurance, including a spouse’s plan, for care that isn’t for a service-connected condition. You won’t owe the unpaid balance, though you may owe a VA copay.
TRICARE for military retirees and families
TRICARE is the Defense Department’s program for active-duty members, military retirees, and Guard and Reserve members, plus their families and some survivors and former spouses. Veterans who left the military without retiring generally don’t qualify.
When you retire from active duty, you have 90 days to re-enroll in TRICARE Prime or Select without a gap, and you can request retroactive enrollment for up to 12 months. Retirees pay an annual enrollment fee that depends on whether the sponsor first enlisted or was appointed before January 1, 2018 (Group A) or on or after that date (Group B).
| 2026 plan | Group A (individual / family) | Group B (individual / family) |
|---|---|---|
| TRICARE Prime | $381.96 / $765 | $462.96 / $927 |
| TRICARE Select | $186.96 / $375 | $594.96 / $1,191 |
| TRICARE For Life | No enrollment fee | No enrollment fee |
With TRICARE For Life, Medicare pays first and TRICARE pays after it, and it covers only the person with Medicare. Many Guard and Reserve members can buy TRICARE Reserve Select for $57.88 a month for the member alone or $286.66 for the member and family in 2026.
CHAMPVA and other help for families
CHAMPVA covers the spouse or dependent child of a veteran rated permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected disability, and the surviving spouse or child of a veteran who died from a service-connected disability or had that rating at death. You can’t get it if you’re eligible for TRICARE. Once you’re eligible for Medicare, you need Part A and Part B to keep CHAMPVA, and a surviving spouse who remarries before 55 loses it. CHAMPVA shares costs with you rather than paying everything.
VA also has programs for family caregivers, some veterans’ children with spina bifida, and relatives who lived at Camp Lejeune. If a veteran gets maternity care through VA, VA can cover the newborn for up to seven days after birth, longer if medically necessary. After that, the baby needs its own coverage; see how to add a newborn to your insurance.
Using VA care with Medicare
You can have Medicare and VA care at the same time, but they generally don’t pay for the same service. Each time you get care, you choose which to use: VA pays for care it provides or authorizes, and Medicare covers care elsewhere. See who is eligible for Medicare.
VA still encourages veterans to keep Part B. It covers care outside VA, VA funding could change, and veterans in lower priority groups could lose VA care in the future. If you drop Part B, you generally can’t sign up again until the general enrollment period (January 1 to March 31), with coverage starting the next month, and the late penalty grows for each full year you go without it; see Medicare late enrollment penalties. The standard Part B premium is $202.90 a month in 2026; see the Part B premium. Medicare says VA and TRICARE drug coverage can count as creditable coverage, which keeps those months from adding to a Part D late penalty.
Getting care outside VA
VA’s community care program pays outside providers in some cases, but you need approval from your VA care team first, except for some urgent and emergency care. You may qualify if VA doesn’t offer the service, your state has no full-service VA facility, or you and your VA provider agree it’s in your best medical interest. Distance and waits count too: VA’s standards are a 30-minute average drive or 20-day wait for primary and mental health care, and a 60-minute drive or 28-day wait for specialty care.
Your options side by side
| Option | Who it’s for | What you pay |
|---|---|---|
| VA health care | Veterans who meet the service and discharge rules | Depends on priority group; some pay nothing |
| TRICARE | Service members, military retirees, Guard and Reserve members, and families | Retiree fees or Reserve Select premiums |
| TRICARE For Life | TRICARE-eligible people with Medicare Part A and B | No enrollment fee; Part B premium |
| CHAMPVA | Some families of veterans with a permanent and total service-connected disability | Shared costs |
| Marketplace plan | Most people without Medicare, including veterans and their families | Tax credit only if you’re not in VA care or eligible for most TRICARE |
| Medicare | People 65 and older and some people with disabilities | Part B $202.90 a month (2026) |
Need coverage for yourself or a family member VA doesn’t cover? Compare 2027 plans by ZIP code.
Frequently asked questions
Can veterans get Obamacare?
Yes. Veterans can buy Marketplace plans like anyone else who doesn’t have Medicare. You can get a premium tax credit only if your income qualifies and you aren’t enrolled in VA health care or eligible for TRICARE Prime or Select, among other rules.
Does VA health care count as health insurance?
It counts as qualifying health coverage, so you don’t need another plan. It doesn’t normally cover your spouse or children, though.
Do I need Medicare Part B if I have VA health care?
You don’t have to take it, but VA recommends it. Part B covers care outside VA, protects you if future VA funding leaves your priority group without care, and avoids a late penalty.
Can my spouse use my VA health care?
Usually not. A spouse may qualify for CHAMPVA if you’re rated permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected condition, or for TRICARE if you’re a military retiree. Otherwise, a Marketplace or job-based plan is the usual route.
Sources
This article is general information, not insurance, tax or legal advice, and it isn’t affiliated with VA or the Defense Department. Eligibility, priority groups, copays and TRICARE fees depend on your service history and change from year to year. Last reviewed October 2026.