HEALTHCAREVA program
VA Vision Care and Eyeglasses
Routine eye exams for veterans enrolled in VA health care, and eyeglasses for groups VA lists, such as veterans with a compensable service-connected disability, former POWs, Purple Heart recipients, and veterans with vision problems caused by conditions VA is treating.
Eye exams available with VA health care; eyeglasses for groups VA lists, such as a compensable service-connected disability
Step-by-step guide
Routine eye care with VA health care
- Enrolled in VA health careThe medical benefits package opens with enrollment in VA health care.
Source: 38 CFR 17.38(a)(2)(viii) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 17.36(a) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: VA vision care (opens in new tab)
Which kind of vision care is this?
- Routine eye exams
Routine vision testing and eye care are part of the VA medical benefits package. VA.gov says VA health care covers routine eye exams and preventive vision testing, like testing for glaucoma.
Source: 38 CFR 17.38(a)(2)(viii) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: VA vision care (opens in new tab)
- Eyeglasses and contact lenses
VA furnishes needed eyeglasses and contact lenses only to veterans already getting VA care, and only to the groups the regulation lists.
- Already getting VA careThe rule covers veterans who are otherwise receiving VA care or services.
- In one of the groups VA listsThe groups are: a compensable service-connected disability; a former prisoner of war; a Purple Heart; benefits under 38 U.S.C. 1151; increased pension for regular aid and attendance or for being permanently housebound; a vision problem caused by another condition VA is treating, or by its treatment; a significant functional or cognitive impairment shown by trouble with activities of daily living, not counting normal vision or hearing changes; or vision so impaired that glasses are needed to take an active part in your own medical treatment.
Source: 38 CFR 17.149(a) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 17.149(b) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 17.38(a)(1)(viii) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: VA vision care (opens in new tab)
What to gather, and what it shows VA
| Document | What it shows | How VA gets it | Have it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| VA health care application VA Form 10-10EZ, the application for VA health care. | Enrollment in VA health care | Apply to VA online, by phone, by mail, or in person at a VA medical center. | |
| VA decision or award letter A VA letter showing a compensable service-connected rating, benefits under 38 U.S.C. 1151, or pension paid at the aid and attendance or housebound rate. | Membership in one of the eyeglasses groups | VA holds these. Veterans can download decision letters and a benefit summary letter on VA.gov. | Yes |
| VA treatment records The records of care you get at VA, including any condition that affects your vision. | A vision problem tied to a condition VA is treating, or to its treatment | VA already has these. Your VA provider and the prosthetic representative read them in VA systems. |
VA staff check these groups from VA records. BeneVets does not ask for copies of them.
Steps, in order
- Get free help from a VSO
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.
Source: VA.gov: accredited representatives (opens in new tab)
- Enroll in VA health care
Apply for VA health care with VA Form 10-10EZ, online, by phone, by mail, or in person. If you are already enrolled, skip this step.
Source: VA Form 10-10EZ (opens in new tab); VA.gov: how to apply for VA health care (opens in new tab)
- Schedule a routine eye exam
Talk to your VA primary care provider, or contact your nearest VA medical center or clinic, to schedule an eye exam.
Source: VA.gov: VA vision care (opens in new tab); VA.gov: find VA locations (opens in new tab)
- Ask the prosthetic representative about eyeglasses
Contact the prosthetic representative at your nearest VA medical center or clinic. They check whether one of the eyeglasses groups covers you.
Source: VA.gov: VA vision care (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 17.149(b) (opens in new tab)
- Blind or low vision? Contact the VIST coordinator
For advanced vision care and rehabilitation, contact the VIST coordinator at your nearest VA medical center.
Source: VA.gov: blind and low vision rehabilitation services (opens in new tab)
Good to know
The same regulation and the same groups cover hearing aids, plus one more: a service-connected hearing disability rated 0 percent, under the conditions the rule sets, with hearing aids given only as needed for that disability. The medical benefits package lists eyeglasses and hearing aids together.
Source: 38 CFR 17.149(b) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 17.149(c) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 17.38(a)(1)(viii) (opens in new tab)
Veterans who are blind or have low vision can get more advanced vision care and rehabilitation through VA.
For blind rehabilitation services, VA.gov says to contact the Visual Impairment Services Team (VIST) coordinator at your nearest VA medical center.
Source: VA.gov: blind and low vision rehabilitation services (opens in new tab)
VA.gov points veterans to the prosthetic representative at the nearest VA medical center or clinic for eyeglasses questions.
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 8, 2026: 38 CFR 17.36(a) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 17.38(a)(1)(viii) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 17.38(a)(2)(viii) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 17.149(a) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 17.149(b) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 17.149(c) (opens in new tab), VA.gov: accredited representatives (opens in new tab), VA.gov: download VA benefit letters (opens in new tab), VA.gov: VA vision care (opens in new tab), VA.gov: blind and low vision rehabilitation services (opens in new tab), VA.gov: find VA locations (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)