What is VA Priority Group 8?
Priority Group 8 is the VA's lowest-priority enrollment tier: veterans with income above the VA's thresholds and no compensable service-connected disability, who agree to copays — $15 primary care, $50 specialty, $30 urgent care, up to $1,736 plus $10/day inpatient in 2026.
What landing in Group 8 means
Group 8 veterans get the same VA care as everyone else — the group affects enrollment priority and cost, not clinical access once enrolled. The full 2026 copay schedule applies: $15/$50 visits, medication tiers at $5/$8/$11 per 30 days under the $700 cap, and the $1,736 + $10/day inpatient full rate. Enrollment itself has limits at the margin — certain Group 8 subcategories above the thresholds can't newly enroll — which is where checking with the VA directly matters.
Moving up — and the Medicare angle
Groups aren't fixed: a compensable rating, lower income (file Form 10-10EZR), or a special authority like PACT Act toxic exposure moves you. And Group 8's copays are precisely why its veterans run the sharpest Medicare comparisons — a $50 VA specialty copay against an MA plan's specialist copay is a real line item, not a hypothetical.
Related questions
Can Priority Group 8 veterans still enroll in VA healthcare?
How do I get out of Group 8?
You earned these benefits. Make them work together.
Whether you keep exactly what you have or add Medicare coverage alongside it, the right answer depends on your health, budget, and how you like to get care.
No cost, no obligation. You can also get help from Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), or your local SHIP office.