VA offers a variety of health care benefits to Veterans. A Veteran’s children and survivors also may qualify for health care benefits.

Learn about your eligibility and VA's benefits.

• Eligibility for Veterans' Health Care Benefits
• Agent Orange Registry Health Exam
• Treatment at VA War Related Illness and Injury Study Centers
• Additional Benefits for Veterans
• Children and Survivors' Benefits
• Contact VA about Benefits

Eligibility for Veterans' Health Care Benefits

There are many ways a Veteran may qualify for VA health care benefits:

• The Veteran served in Vietnam between January 9, 1962 and May 7, 1975 and the VA Secretary determined that during military service, the Veteran may have been exposed to dioxin or was exposed to a toxic substance found in an herbicide or defoliant used for military purposes.
• Other Veterans may be eligible for health care benefits due to a service-connected disability or because they meet certain income criteria.

Learn how Veterans may have been exposed to Agent Orange and other herbicides during military service, including outside Vietnam.

Find out if you qualify for VA health care.  Apply online for VA health care.

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Agent Orange Registry Health Exam

If you served in Vietnam or another area where Agent Orange was sprayed, you may be eligible for an Agent Orange Registry health exam.

VA’s Agent Orange Registry health exam is a free, voluntary medical exam to track the special health concerns of Veterans who may have been exposed to Agent Orange during their military service. The collected data enables VA to understand and address health problems more effectively. Learn more about the Agent Orange Registry health exam.

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Treatment at VA War Related Illness and Injury Study Centers

VA's War Related Illness and Injury Study Centers (WRIISCs) provide clinical expertise for Veterans with deployment health concerns or difficult-to-diagnose illnesses. WRIISCs are in three locations: Washington, DC; East Orange, NJ; and Palo Alto, CA. For an appointment at a WRIISC, a VA primary care doctor must make a referral. Learn how to get a referral to a WRIISC.

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Additional Benefits for Veterans

Veterans also may be eligible for:

• Disability compensation benefits: A monthly payment
• Other benefits: Home loans, vocational rehabilitation, education, and more

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Children and Survivors' Benefits

Certain Vietnam-era Veterans’ children with spina bifida or covered birth defects may be eligible for health care, compensation, and vocational training. Learn more about benefits for children with birth defects.

Surviving spouses and children of Veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange and died as the result of diseases associated with Agent Orange exposure may be eligible for health care benefits under the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA). These survivors (and surviving dependent parents of these Veterans) also may be eligible for a monthly payment called Dependency and Indemnity Compensation and other benefits. Find out if you qualify for survivors’ benefits.

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Contact VA about Benefits