The 8 VA Priority Groups and What Moves You Up
VA puts every enrolled Veteran in 1 of 8 groups. Your group affects how soon you are signed up and what you may pay.
What a priority group is
When you apply for VA health care you are placed in 1 of 8 priority groups. VA says your group may affect how soon you are signed up and how much, if anything, you pay toward your care. Group 1 is the highest priority and Group 8 is the lowest. The group is set from your service-connected rating, your service, and, for some groups, your income. For who can enroll at all, see No VA rating? You may still have VA health care.
The 8 groups
| Group | Who VA places there |
|---|---|
| 1 | Service-connected rating of 50 percent or more; unemployable because of service-connected disability; Medal of Honor recipients. |
| 2 | Service-connected rating of 30 or 40 percent. |
| 3 | Former prisoners of war; Purple Heart recipients; discharged for a disability caused or worsened by active duty; service-connected rating of 10 or 20 percent; certain 38 U.S.C. 1151 cases. |
| 4 | Receiving VA aid and attendance or housebound benefits; VA has determined you are catastrophically disabled. |
| 5 | No service-connected disability, or a 0 percent non-compensable rating, and income below VA limits; receiving VA pension; eligible for Medicaid. |
| 6 | A compensable 0 percent service-connected rating; Project 112/SHAD; World War II service; Persian Gulf War service (Aug. 2, 1990 to Nov. 11, 1998); Camp Lejeune (30 or more days, Aug. 1, 1953 to Dec. 31, 1987); combat-theater service after Nov. 11, 1998 for post-9/11 Veterans (see below); other toxic exposure risk service, including Agent Orange and ionizing radiation locations that VA lists. |
| 7 | Household income below VA geographically adjusted limits, and you agree to pay copays. |
| 8 | Household income above the limits, and you agree to pay copays. Whether VA can enroll you depends on the subgroup (a through g) VA puts you in, based on your rating, income and when you first enrolled. |
VA's page lists more exact dates and places for Group 6. Open the official list before you decide you do not fit: VA priority groups.
The 8 groups
Post-9/11 combat Veterans: 10 years of enhanced eligibility
VA lists combat-theater service after November 11, 1998, with discharge on or after October 1, 2013, and a minimum service requirement, as a Group 6 path. VA calls this a 10-year enhanced eligibility period. Ask VA to check your exact dates and service.
What moves you up
- A higher service-connected rating. VA says your group can change if your rating increases. A 10 or 20 percent rating is Group 3, 30 or 40 percent is Group 2, and 50 percent or more is Group 1.
- A change in income. VA says your group can change if your income changes. This matters most for Groups 5, 7 and 8.
- Toxic exposure or combat service. Service in the places and periods VA lists can place you in Group 6 even with no rating.
- Other qualifiers. Purple Heart, former POW, aid and attendance or housebound benefits, and a catastrophic disability determination all appear in the groups above.
If you think a claim would raise your rating, see the VA claim pages in this binder, and file through VA.
What it can mean for your costs
- Groups 7 and 8 agree to pay copays.
- Group 1 pays no medication copays (VA copay page).
- A Veteran with a service-connected rating of 10 percent or more does not pay a copay for outpatient care (VA copay page).
- For 2026 VA lists a primary care copay of $15 per visit and specialty care of $50 per visit for a Veteran without a 10 percent or higher rating, for care of non-service-connected conditions.
Amounts change. Check the current VA health care copay rates page.
How to get your group set or checked
- Apply for VA health care if you have not: How to apply for VA health care. You can apply online, by phone, by mail with VA Form 10-10EZ, or in person at a VA medical center.
- Tell VA about your rating, your service in the listed places, and any Purple Heart or POW status.
- If you are already enrolled, call the hotline and ask which group you are in and why.
- Update your household income with VA when it changes.
Where to call and where to go
Phone
- VA health benefits hotline: 877-222-8387 (877-222-VETS), Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET. Source: va.gov/health-care/how-to-apply
- VA main information line (MyVA411), open 24/7. VA prints the number on its contact page: va.gov/contact-us
- Veterans Crisis Line, 24/7: 988, then press 1. Source: Helpful VA phone numbers
Official pages
- How to apply for VA health care
- Apply online for VA health care (VA Form 10-10EZ)
- VA priority groups (official list)
- VA health care copay rates
- Find a VA health facility near you
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