Category:
VA Medical Benefits For Veterans
You may be eligible for VA disability benefits or compensation if you have a current illness or injury (known as a condition) that affects your body or mind and you meet at least one of the requirements listed below.
Both of these must be true. You:
- Served on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training, and
- Have a disability rating for your service-connected condition
And at least one of these must be true. You:
- Got sick or injured while serving in the military—and can link this condition to your illness or injury (called an inservice disability claim), or
- Had an illness or injury before you joined the military—and serving made it worse (called a preservice disability claim), or
- Have a disability related to your active-duty service that didn’t appear until after you ended your service (called a postservice disability claim)
Presumed disabilities
- A chronic (long-lasting) illness that appears within one year after discharge, or
- An illness caused by contact with contaminants (toxic chemicals) or other hazardous materials, or
- An illness caused by your time spent as a prisoner of war (POW)
Who’s covered?
- Veterans
- Qualified dependents