The VA announced in early July that more than 200,000 veterans have enrolled in VA healthcare so far in 2026. That enrollment push has already generated more than 500,000 completed or scheduled healthcare encounters, including more than 60,000 mental health appointments. More than 2,100 of those newly enrolled veterans have already received emergency care through the VA.

Those are real people who were eligible before this year and were not connected to care they had already earned.

The number that sits behind that announcement is harder to sit with. As of March, there were 9.2 million veterans enrolled in the VA healthcare system, and approximately 5 million veterans who are eligible but not currently enrolled. Nearly 50 percent of veterans in the U.S. are not enrolled in VA healthcare. That gap does not exist because those veterans did not serve. It exists because enrollment is not automatic, the process is not always intuitive, and a significant portion of eligible veterans either do not know they qualify or believe a misconception that disqualifies them before they ever apply.

What is driving this year’s enrollment push

To mark America’s 250th birthday, VA hospitals, Vet Centers and other facilities this summer are holding more than 140 “Freedom 250” events, which will introduce VA to thousands of additional unenrolled veterans. These are not information fairs. They are enrollment events, staffed with eligibility and enrollment personnel who can help veterans complete applications on the spot. Representatives from VA healthcare systems, the Veterans Benefits Administration, and state departments of veterans affairs are on site to assist veterans with healthcare enrollment, disability claims assistance, and memorial affairs.

You can find events near you at discover.va.gov/events/freedom-250.

The misconceptions doing the most damage

A common misconception is that only veterans who were injured in service or have service-connected disabilities are eligible for VA healthcare. In reality, most veterans who served in the military and were honorably discharged, even if they were not in combat, qualify for VA care. Another misconception is that already having insurance disqualifies veterans from enrolling. Co-managed care is common, and community and VA providers work together to support veterans’ well-being.

If you were previously turned away from VA healthcare because you did not meet eligibility requirements, apply again. The eligibility criteria have changed significantly under the PACT Act, and many veterans who were previously ineligible now qualify. The PACT Act, signed in 2022, was the largest expansion of VA healthcare in decades. It opened enrollment to millions of veterans exposed to toxic substances during service, including burn pits, Agent Orange, and radiation. Veterans who were denied before 2022 and never reapplied may now qualify.

What enrollment gets you

Once enrolled, you have access to VA healthcare for life. That includes primary care, specialty care, mental health services, prescription medications, preventive screenings, and the VA’s toxic exposure screening, which is now a standard part of primary care under the PACT Act.

The financial difference is real. VA healthcare can save veterans and their families thousands of dollars a year compared to private coverage, particularly for veterans managing ongoing conditions, mental health care, or prescription costs. VA research consistently shows that veterans enrolled in VA healthcare have better health outcomes than non-enrolled veterans, and VA hospitals have outperformed non-VA hospitals in quality ratings and patient satisfaction.

How to enroll

Veterans can find a nearby VA facility, review eligibility information at choose.va.gov, or call the department’s 24-hour information line at 1-800-698-2411. You can also apply online at VA.gov/health-care/apply, in person at any VA medical facility, or by mailing a completed VA Form 10-10EZ. Your DD-214 helps but is not always required. The VA can often verify service without it.

Mission Roll Call’s VA Enrollment Guide walks through eligibility, priority groups, what to expect from the process, and how to get help if you run into barriers.

If you are one of the 5 million eligible veterans who has not enrolled, this summer’s outreach events are the most direct on-ramp available. The care is there. The question is whether you are connected to it.