World War II veterans at the Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day Commemoration last December. VA photo
WASHINGTON, DC — All World War II veterans now are eligible for no-cost VA healthcare, medical services and nursing home care, the VA announced shortly before Veterans Day.
The VA advised that all WWII veterans who served between Dec. 7, 1941, and Dec. 31, 1946, are eligible under the expansion, regardless of their length of service or financial status. The veterans will not have to pay co-pays, enrollment fees or monthly premiums.
The agency said it is reaching out by phone and mail to encourage WWII veterans who are not currently enrolled in VA care to apply today. Veterans who enroll may also keep their private providers, Medicare and most other insurance to meet their healthcare needs.
“These members of the Greatest Generation answered the call to serve when our nation—and the world—needed them most. Now, it’s our job to serve them in every way that we can,” said VA Under Secretary for Health Shereef Elnahal, MD. “We are proud to provide world-class, no-cost health care to these heroes at VA, and we encourage all of them to enroll today.”
Specifically, the VA called on veterans who were not approved for VA healthcare in the past due to income limits to apply again. As part of the expansion, income levels no longer apply. There is no mechanism for VA to automatically enroll veterans in healthcare, so WWII veterans must apply, if they are not currently enrolled.
Last December, President Joe Biden signed the Joseph Maxwell Cleland and Robert Joseph Dole Memorial Veterans Benefits and Health Care Improvement Act of 2022.
Cleland-Dole Act
The Joseph Maxwell Cleland and Robert Joseph Dole Memorial Veterans Benefits and Health Care Improvement Act of 2022, also known as the Cleland-Dole Act, addresses veteran homelessness, telehealth and long-term care.
It also will address prostate cancer research, rural health, substance-use disorder, mental health, access to care, non-VA care, Vet Centers, educational assistance, beneficiary travel, beneficiary debt collection and the G.I. Bill.
The law contains 80 sections requiring VA to work collaboratively with the Department of Labor to begin implementing the plan, with a finalization date of October 2029. The Cleland-Dole Act helps support local, state and national efforts to increase care access, expand and remove mental health care barriers, increase support to case managers and expand homelessness programs.
To be implemented over the next 5 years, the law also calls for developing a self-scheduling pilot program, so veterans can set and manage community-care appointments.
The VA pointed out that 119,550 of the 16.1 million Americans who served in World War II are alive as of 2023, all in their 90s and older.
While all WWII veterans are now eligible for VA care, in the past, the cohort was advised of its risk of certain conditions, including those caused by:
- Noise: Harmful sounds from guns, explosives, rockets, heavy weapons, jets and aircraft and machinery that can cause or contribute to hearing loss and tinnitus (ringing in the ears).
- Ionizing radiation: A type of radiation exposure from atmospheric and underground nuclear weapons tests.
- Occupational hazards: Chemicals, paints, radiation, and other hazards veterans may have come in contact with through their military job.
- Extreme cold: Health problems (like skin cancer in frostbite scars or pain, tingling or numbness in the fingers and toes) caused by the effects of cold climates. You’re at higher risk if you served during the Battle of the Bulge, conducted from December 1944 through January 1945 under conditions of extreme cold.
- Mustard gas: An odorless, poisonous gas used during combat in World Wars I and World War II.
Robert Joseph “Bob” Dole (R-KS), who died in 2021, was an American congressman and attorney who represented Kansas in the U.S. Senate from 1969 to 1996 and the U.S. House of Representatives from 1961 to 1969. Dole, who was injured in World War II, also was the Republican presidential nominee in the 1996 election and the vice presidential nominee in the 1976 election.
Joseph Maxwell “Max” Cleland, who also died in 2021, was an American politician from Georgia who was a disabled U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War, a recipient of the Silver Star and the Bronze Star for valorous actions in combat, as well as a U.S. senator (1997–2003). He served as administrator of Veterans Affairs under President Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1981.
