GAO reports 70% rise in veterans eligible for VA dental benefits
Veterans meeting service-connected criteria have been eligible for VA dental care since FY 2020, with eligibility projected to rise if heart-disease expansion occurs.
The Government Accountability Office found that the number of veterans eligible for Department of Veterans Affairs dental benefits increased about 70% from fiscal years 2020 through 2025, reaching roughly 2.3 million. The VA has committed to spend $3.1 billion on dental care in FY 25 and expects costs to continue rising.
Eligibility is limited to veterans who meet specific requirements, such as a 100 percent service-connected disability rating or former prisoner-of-war status. According to VA data, about 26 percent of the more than 9 million VHA-enrolled veterans were eligible for dental benefits as of February 2026. GAO's review of demographic data showed the share of younger veterans (under age 50) among the eligible population grew from 21 percent in 2020 to 36 percent in 2025, while other characteristics remained relatively constant.
Congress has considered expanding eligibility to veterans diagnosed with heart disease. The Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act required a pilot program in 2026 that provides dental benefits to certain veterans with heart disease. GAO estimated that extending benefits to all veterans with heart disease could increase the eligible population by 25 percent, from about 2.45 million to about 3.07 million - an addition of over 600,000 veterans.
VHA officials and dental providers interviewed by GAO said such an expansion would likely require hiring additional dental providers and increasing dental clinic space to accommodate the larger patient load.
Further reading