VA and DOD Health Care: Efforts to Provide Seamless Transition of Care for OEF and OIF Servicemembers and Veterans

As of the end of March 2006, over 1.3 million1 U.S. military servicemembers had served or were serving in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) or Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). These servicemembers, including members of the reserves and National Guard, may be eligible to receive health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) while serving on active duty or upon separating from active duty. Although the Department of Defense (DOD) provides health care services to servicemembers under TRICARE, legislation passed by the Congress in May 1982 authorized VA to provide health care services to servicemembers in time of war or national emergency, when DOD may have insufficient resources to care for casualties. VA has made a variety of outreach efforts to provide OEF and OIF service members and veterans and their families with information on VA health care services. VA reported that from October 1, 2000, through May 31, 2006, it provided about 36,000 briefings to almost 1.4 million active duty, reserve, and National Guard servicemembers about VA health care services that may be available to them. In some cases, family members also attended these briefings, which were provided at over 200 sites, including 70 sites outside the United States.