What Are the Income Limits for VA Health Care in 2022?
Veterans with service-connected disabilities can receive free VA health care. However, depending on your income levels and geographic location, copayments for some services may apply – it’s important to know which thresholds apply in 2022 so you know if you qualify for healthcare with reduced or no copayments.
To receive health care benefits, you will need to submit an “Application for Benefits” and statement of service form, along with income and deduction information. VA will compare your countable income against thresholds above; to do this they use payments like wages, alimony, workers compensation, unemployment compensation pensions Social Security interest dividends business income rental property investment accounts timber sales royalties revocable trust payments gambling winnings or severance pay as examples of countable income sources.
VA considers several factors when assessing your eligibility:
These thresholds represent the geographic mean adjusted income limits in each location, taking into account cost of living considerations as well as average household income estimates for that state. They’re updated annually; click here for the most up-to-date thresholds.
Treatment Priority Group 7 requires meeting 80% of the Department of Housing and Urban Development low-income limit for your region, reflecting that many veterans in this group live below poverty level with limited or no earned income.
VA uses countable income and the regional income limits for your primary residence to ascertain whether you belong in this group and assign priority group 7. If so, healthcare access will likely come at no or reduced copayments.
If your income surpasses the threshold, you will be placed into Priority Group 8 and required to pay full copayments for healthcare services. This group includes veterans without service-connected disabilities that qualify them for disability compensation but who earn enough income to be placed into the lowest treatment priority level.
VA’s Plan First program provides limited health coverage to men and women who do not meet Medicaid income eligibility guidelines, covering annual family planning exams for both genders, pap tests, sexually transmitted infection testing, approved over-the-counter and prescription contraceptives and sexually transmitted disease education/counseling as well as tubal ligation or vasectomies for both genders. Funded through federal grants administered by Virginia Department of Women’s Affairs.