Veterans Administration Health Insurance Benefits

Health-care insurance benefits for veterans represent the country's desire to take care of the men and women who gave so much to serve their country. Veterans health-care benefits are the primary source of medical treatment for millions of men and women across the country. Veterans' medical centers offer the full range of health-care services.

Eligibility

• Veterans who have served honorably on active duty in one of the uniformed services, including the Coast Guard and Merchant Marine sailors who served during World War II, are eligible for veterans' health-insurance benefits. Veterans who served in the reserves and National Guard who were called to active duty, are eligible for Veterans Administration (VA) health care. Reserve and National Guard members who served in combat duty are eligible for the full range of medical services for five years after leaving active service.

Basic Care

• Medical care in a VA medical facility begins with basic preventive health-care services. Preventive health care includes immunizations, physical examinations and other diagnostic services that assess overall health needs and help medical practitioners determine the direction a veteran's care should take. There are services that can provide screening for cancer, diabetes or any other serious disease. A recent addition to the bag of tools that medical providers have are educational programs that educate patients on the importance of taking care of themselves.

Extended Care

• Veterans can call the nearest VA medical facility for an appointment if they have a non-emergency medical need in the same manner as anyone else in the country with regular medical insurance can do. VA regional medical facilities offer the full range of surgical and trauma care.

Other Services

• Although an ambulance will probably not bring a veteran to a VA medical facility in case of an emergency, veterans that arrive at a VA emergency room will receive care comparable to any civilian facility. VA regional medical centers also operate full service pharmacies. Veterans can receive a full range of prescription drugs at the medical center, or can receive medications at home through the mail.

Costs

• A veteran applying for health-care benefits is required to produce documentation of financial status and disability status. Veterans without a service-connected disability, or veterans with a 0 percent disability that does not entitle them to compensation payments, are required to complete a means test to determine how much their co-pay for services will be. Veterans receiving compensation for service-connected disabilities may not be required to render a co-pay for medical services, however they may have a small co-pay for medication.