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Since You Asked: Not all veterans get government health care Saturday May 27, 2017 at 12:01 AM On May 17, we answered a question from a reader who wanted to learn more about how various countries provide health care for their citizens. As part of our answer, we mentioned the book "The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper and Fairer Health Care." The author, T.R. Reid, points out that the U.S. uses a variety of approaches, including private insurance and Medicare, and we added, "The government is the payer and provider of health care for military personnel and veterans." John F. Howard, a retired Navy commander who lives in Medford, wrote to tell us "that is not totally correct as it applies to veterans. "Only about 40 percent of those who have worn our nation's uniform are eligible for VA health care," said Howard. "The two general prerequisites for VA health care eligibility are: 1) a service-connected disability; and/or 2) income below a certain threshold. "In my almost 30 years of Navy service, I suffered no disabilities and my income is well above the threshold, thus I am not eligible for VA care. These two criteria are not hard and fast. Vets should always check with the VA at www.va.gov/health/ to find out for sure whether they are eligible and at what level of care." He also pointed out that data on the number of vets and the number enrolled in VA health care are available online from the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics at www.va.gov/vetdata/docs/Quickfacts/Homepage_slideshow_06_04_16.pdf — Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them.