Why does the US government keep military healthcare separate from veteran health care?

Funding for active duty personnel is funded by Congress through the Department of Defense as part of the costs of manning the various services.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is a separately funded Cabinet level Department Its funding is separate from the Department of Defense.

Also, active duty personnel should be close to a base, while Veterans can live anywhere.

@zenvelo I wonder if they combined the two if the system in it’s entirety would be less expensive.

Military healthcare is directed towards mostly healthy younger men and women (under age 45), while Veteran’s is directed towards older people, many who have war related injuries from missing limbs, brain trauma, PTSD, and exposure to chemical agents.

Much different medical needs from disparate demographics.

@zenvelo There are a bunch of retired people who use military health care who don’t qualify for VA. Those people have plenty of health conditions. I’m not arguing, I agree that most likely the majority in regular military healthcare are ages 18–30, but I was in military health as a kid, and my parents are now in their 70’s.

@zenvelo, @JLeslie It’s more about the source of funding than demographics. As @zenvelo stated, Tri-Care, the Military Health Plan serves Uniformed Service members, retirees and their family members, and is administered ultimately through the Department of Defense. The Department of Veterans’ Affairs office (aka Veterans’ Administration, or VA) is a completely different bureaucracy within the Executive Branch.

The VA does not provide all veterans with medical services. In order to qualify, the veteran needs to demonstrate a certain level of service-related disability or have a household income below an established threshold.

I still wonder if they combined it all if it would be fiscally more efficient.

I didn’t know the money comes from different sources, so I appreciate the answers regarding that.

When I went to the VA here to check on my dad’s possible eligibility, it looks like he could qualify if he had a lower income. He isn’t a war veteran. I do think he is considered 40% disabled. I’m not sure.

I am a Vietnam vet, as you may know, and I was denied benefits because our household income (including my wife’s income) is too high. I have no service-related disability.

@JLeslie If your dad’s disability is service-related they might be able to help with anything specifically related to that disability.

@Yetanotheruser It’s not service related. He doesn’t need “help” per se, it was for convenience. He gets his healthcare through the military as I said, most of his care and medication is free.

Update: my dad went into the VA where I live and he is eligible. He is all signed up so when he visits he can use it with no problem for tests and meds.