HEALTHCAREVA program
Iraq and Afghanistan Combat Veteran Priority Care (10-Year Enhanced)
Combat veterans who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, or Operation New Dawn can get free VA health care for up to 10 years after discharge or release for conditions related to that service.
Available to veterans who served in a theater of combat operations after November 11, 1998, such as OIF, OEF, or OND, for 10 years after discharge or release
Step-by-step guide
What you get
Free VA health care and medications for any condition that may be related to your combat service, for up to 10 years after discharge or release, in priority group 6 or higher.
What VA looks for
- Service in a combat theater after November 11, 1998VA looks for service in a theater of combat operations after November 11, 1998. VA's page frames this around Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn in Iraq.
- Within 10 years of your discharge or releaseThe 10 years run from the date of your discharge or release. At the end of the 10 years, VA moves you to the highest priority group that fits you at that time.
- A discharge that is not dishonorableVA looks for a discharge other than dishonorable, plus the basic service rules for VA health care. If you enlisted after September 7, 1980, or entered active duty after October 16, 1981, VA looks for 24 continuous months or the full period you were called to, with some exceptions. Guard and Reserve members need a federal call to active duty, completed in full; active duty for training only does not count. If your discharge is other than honorable or bad conduct, VA says it may affect VA benefits, and you can apply for a discharge upgrade or ask VA for a Character of Discharge review.
Source: VA.gov: active-duty service members and VA health care (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 17.36(b)(6) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: VA priority groups (opens in new tab); VA.gov: VA health care basics (opens in new tab); VA.gov: how to apply for a discharge upgrade (opens in new tab)
Which route fits?
- Within 10 years of discharge or release
VA gives free health care for up to 10 years after discharge or release for any condition that may be related to your combat service. During those years, VA places Veterans in priority group 6, unless income or a service-connected disability places them higher.
Source: VA.gov: active-duty service members and VA health care (opens in new tab); VA.gov: VA priority groups (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 17.36(b)(6) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 17.36(a) (opens in new tab)
- More than 10 years after discharge
Under the PACT Act, VA says Veterans who served in Iraq, Afghanistan, or any other combat zone after 9/11, or who deployed in support of the Global War on Terror, can enroll now without applying for disability benefits first. The basic service and discharge rules still apply.
- Combat zone service after 9/11, plus the basic service rulesVA lists service in the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, or any other combat zone after 9/11, a deployment in support of the Global War on Terror, or exposure to toxins or other hazards during service, together with the basic service and discharge rules for VA health care.
Source: VA.gov: the PACT Act and your VA benefits (opens in new tab); VA.gov: VA health care basics (opens in new tab)
Time limits
The enhanced period runs 10 years from the date of your discharge or release. One-time dental care has its own window: apply within 180 days of discharge or release.
What to gather, and what it shows VA
| Document | What it shows | How VA gets it | Have it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Record of combat theater service Military service documentation that shows service in a combat theater, a combat service medal, or the combat tax exemption, imminent danger pay, or hostile fire pay. | Service in a theater of combat operations | Bring it or send it with your application if you have it. VA uses records like these to decide combat theater service. VA.gov explains how to request military records from the National Archives. | Yes |
| DD214 or other separation documents Your military discharge papers (DD214 or other separation documents). VA also asks for your military service history and details about exposure to any toxins or other hazards. | Your discharge and its character | Have it ready when you apply. VA lists discharge papers among what to have on hand for the health care application. | Yes |
| VA health care application VA Form 10-10EZ, the application for VA health care. | Your request to enroll in VA health care | Apply online, by phone, by mail, or in person at a VA medical center or clinic. You or your power of attorney signs and dates it. |
Send these to VA with your application or bring them to a VA medical center. BeneVets does not ask for copies.
Steps, in order
- Free help with the application
Free help: an accredited VSO can file this with you. Find one near you in the BeneVets VSO directory at Find an accredited VSO near you. VA says an accredited attorney, claims agent, or VSO representative can help you apply for health care; VSO help is free, while attorneys and claims agents can charge fees.
Source: VA.gov: accredited representatives (opens in new tab); VA.gov: how to apply for VA health care (opens in new tab)
- Gather your service records
Gather your DD214 or other separation papers and any record of combat theater service, such as a combat service medal or a combat pay or tax exemption record.
Source: VA.gov: active-duty service members and VA health care (opens in new tab); VA.gov: how to apply for VA health care (opens in new tab)
- Apply with VA Form 10-10EZ
Apply online, by phone at 877-222-8387, by mail to the address on the VA.gov how to apply page, or in person at a VA medical center or clinic with a signed VA Form 10-10EZ. You do not have to report income to apply, but VA may ask for it if other factors do not place you.
Source: VA Form 10-10EZ (opens in new tab); VA.gov: how to apply for VA health care (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 17.36(d)(1) (opens in new tab)
- Apply now, even before you separate
You can apply as soon as you have your separation or retirement papers; if VA finds you meet its rules, enrollment starts once you separate or retire. VA encourages applying right away, even if you do not need care now, to use the enhanced period.
Source: VA.gov: active-duty service members and VA health care (opens in new tab)
- Ask about one-time dental care
One-time dental care has its own application window, under Time limits. VA's dental page lists it for Veterans who served 90 days or more of active duty during the Persian Gulf War era, with a DD214 that does not show a complete dental exam and all needed treatment in the 90 days before discharge. The VA dental exam must be done within six months after discharge unless the delay is not your fault. Apply for VA health care before going to a VA dental clinic.
Source: VA.gov: active-duty service members and VA health care (opens in new tab); VA.gov: VA dental care (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 17.161(b) (opens in new tab)
- Mental health care now, without enrollment
You do not need to be enrolled in VA health care to get care at a Vet Center. Call or walk in to any Vet Center during clinic hours, or to any VA medical center, anytime, day or night.
Source: VA.gov: active-duty service members and VA health care (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 17.37(i) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 17.2000(a) (opens in new tab)
- Questions? Call the health benefits hotline
Call 877-222-8387 (TTY: 800-877-8339), Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET. If you already applied and have not heard back, VA asks you not to apply again; call the hotline instead. After you separate, a VA Concierge for Care team member may call to answer questions and help with the application.
Source: VA.gov: active-duty service members and VA health care (opens in new tab); VA.gov: how to apply for VA health care (opens in new tab)
Good to know
VA gives 10 years of enhanced health care from the date of your discharge or release. This is a health care rule, separate from disability claims; the disability compensation chapter covers claims.
Source: VA.gov: VA priority groups (opens in new tab); VA.gov: active-duty service members and VA health care (opens in new tab)
If you enroll during the 10 years, VA says you stay enrolled in VA health care after the enhanced period ends. VA then reassigns you to the highest priority group that fits you at that time.
Source: VA.gov: active-duty service members and VA health care (opens in new tab); VA.gov: VA priority groups (opens in new tab)
Care and medications for any condition that may be related to your combat service carry no copay. Copays can apply to care and medications VA finds clearly not related to your military service; you can send your income with your application to ask for a copay exemption. For matters outside priority group 6, VA can also place you in priority group 7 or 8. Community urgent care can carry a copay after three visits in a calendar year for priority group 6 care, and from the first visit for matters handled under priority group 7 or 8.
Source: VA.gov: active-duty service members and VA health care (opens in new tab); VA.gov: current VA health care copay rates (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 17.108(e) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 17.110(c) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 17.36(d)(3)(iii) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 17.4600(d) (opens in new tab)
Veterans who served in a combat zone after 9/11 can enroll in VA health care without applying for disability benefits first, even after the 10 years, if they meet the basic service and discharge rules.
Source: VA.gov: the PACT Act and your VA benefits (opens in new tab); VA.gov: VA health care basics (opens in new tab)
BeneVets is informational and is not an accredited representative. Free help: an accredited VSO can work through VA benefits with you at no cost. Find an accredited VSO near you
Sources checked October 16, 2026: 38 CFR 17.36(a) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 17.36(b)(6) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 17.36(d)(1) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 17.36(d)(3)(iii) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 17.37(i) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 17.108(e) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 17.110(c) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 17.161(b) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 17.2000(a) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 17.4600(d) (opens in new tab), VA.gov: active-duty service members and VA health care (opens in new tab), VA.gov: VA priority groups (opens in new tab), VA.gov: VA health care basics (opens in new tab), VA.gov: the PACT Act and your VA benefits (opens in new tab), VA.gov: how to apply for VA health care (opens in new tab), VA Form 10-10EZ (opens in new tab), VA.gov: current VA health care copay rates (opens in new tab), VA.gov: VA dental care (opens in new tab), VA.gov: request your military service records (opens in new tab), VA.gov: how to apply for a discharge upgrade (opens in new tab), VA.gov: accredited representatives (opens in new tab)