VA Health Insurance Eligibility Changed

[shotgunner]

Back in 1987 when I left active duty with the USAF I was too young and too busy to care very much about any VA benefits. I looked again at what might be available to me in 2008 when I made the move from F/T work to semi-retired. At that time I did not qualify because VA benefits were means tested, both income and assets. I have no service connected disability

Well much to my surprise that has changed, the means test is currently income only.

I am single and the income limits seem fairly generous to me (they depend on where you live), up to $46,000 for priority 7, and up to $50,600 for priority 8 (which has in the past not always been funded by Congress but currently is).

If you have HI through the Exchange and get a subsidy enrolling in the VA Health plan would cause you to lose your subsidy.

I don't see any downside if you are on Medicare. In fact it may be beneficial to use the VA for prescription drugs and use their nursing home care benefits. There are copays for priority 7 and 8.

Anyway if you are an honorably discharged Veteran it may be worth looking into as you reach retirement.

 

[Senator]

I agree. And if you are a disabled vet, it is 100% free.

I got labeled a disabled Vet in ~2014, after I was out of the USAF for over 30 years. I am a priority 3.

 

[GTFan]

Interesting, my wife is a 5-year Army vet and would be eligible for group 5 from what I see at the VA site (our reported income is below their limit of $32k for this area). That means zero-cost care assuming they don't check net worth.

https://www.va.gov/HEALTHBENEFITS/resources/priority_groups.asp

Think we'll continue on with our subsidized ACA Silver plans since it's cheap, local docs and hospitals are easier to use and BCBS and Kaiser are still here in the ATL, but in the future if ACA falls apart might be worth it to have her apply for VA and for me to use my MegaCorp retiree coverage.

Thanks for the post!