Veterans enrolled in the VA healthcare system in the U.S. in 2023, by priority group

In 2023, priority group one had the highest enrollment rate in the VA healthcare system at 38 percent, followed by priority group eight with 15 percent of enrollees. The funds granted by Congress to the VA each year determine how many veterans can enroll in the health care program. Due to limited funding, the VA established priority groups to ensure that some veteran groups could enroll before others. This statistic shows the share of U.S. veterans enrolled in the VA health care system from 2018 to 2023, by priority groups.

Share of U.S. veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system from 2018 to 2023, by priority groups

Characteristic	Priority Group 8	Priority Group 7	Priority Group 6	Priority Group 5	Priority Group 4	Priority Group 3	Priority Group 2	Priority Group 1
2018	19%	4%	6%	20%	2%	14%	8%	27%
2019	18%	4%	6%	19%	2%	14%	8%	29%
2020	17%	4%	5%	18%	2%	14%	8%	31%
2021	12%	3%	4%	13%	1%	14%	10%	42%
2022	16%	5%	5%	15%	1%	14%	8%	35%
2023	15%	5%	5%	14%	1%	14%	8%	38%

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Release date

December 2023

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Region

North America, United States

Survey time period

2023

Method of interview

Online survey

Supplementary notes

Note: VA assigned priority groups are determined by three factors: medical condition, service experience and income level.

Priority Groups 1-3: Generally, Veterans with service-connected disabilities.

Priority Groups 4-6: Veterans with catastrophic disabilities (Priority Group 4), Veterans with nonservice-connected disabilities or Veterans who have an annual income below the established VA Means Test (MT) threshold (Priority Group 5), or Veterans who have had exposure to environmental hazards (Priority Group 6).

Priority Groups 7-8: Generally, Veterans with no service-connected disability and who have an annual income above the MT threshold.

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