Why It Matters

A recent review of VA dental benefits eligibility found that the number of veterans who qualify for dental care through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) increased approximately 70% between fiscal years 2020 and 2025, reaching roughly 2.3 million veterans by the end of fiscal year 2025, while VA obligated $3.1 billion for dental care in fiscal year 2025 alone, with costs expected to keep climbing. Congress has considered extending those benefits to veterans diagnosed with heart disease, a move that could add more than 600,000 people to the eligible population and require additional dentists, hygienists and clinic space.

The American Heart Association and others have reported a link between poor oral health and serious conditions including heart disease, giving the eligibility question a public health dimension beyond dental care alone. As of February, about 26% of the more than 9 million veterans enrolled in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) qualified for dental benefits, meaning nearly three-quarters were not eligible for comprehensive VA dental benefits.

The Big Picture

The report, titled "Veterans Health Care: Information on Eligibility for and Use of Dental Benefits," was published Sept. 23 and mandated by the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, enacted as Public Law 118-210 and signed into law in January 2025. The act required VA to launch a two-year pilot program by January providing dental benefits to certain veterans with heart disease, and it included a statutory provision directing the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to examine VA dental services and benefits.

The legislation originated as H.R. 8371 in the 118th Congress. A separate May Stars and Stripes report noted that veterans groups were urging the House Veterans' Affairs Committee to support legislation that would expand dental benefits to millions more veterans, signaling that congressional activity on the issue has continued beyond the Dole Act pilot.

GAO's analysis drew on VHA data covering fiscal and calendar years 2020 through 2025, interviews with VHA officials, and site visits to three VHA facilities selected because they participated in a pilot program offering free or reduced-cost dental care to veterans who lacked VA dental benefits. GAO also collected information from VA lead dentists and interviewed representatives from four relevant national organizations and three veterans service organizations, chosen because they represent dental providers or could speak to veterans' dental care experiences.

The growth in the eligible population over the study period was largely driven by increases in veterans qualifying because of a 100% service-connected disability rating or a 100% service-connection compensation rate due to the inability to work. The demographic composition of that population also shifted: veterans under age 50 made up 21% of those eligible in fiscal year 2020 but 36% by fiscal year 2025, while other characteristics including sex, race and ethnicity, and rurality of residence remained relatively constant.

Broader Context

Using VHA data for 2025, GAO estimated that if Congress extended eligibility to all veterans with heart disease, the population eligible for dental benefits could grow 25%, from approximately 2.45 million veterans who were eligible at some point during 2025 to approximately 3.07 million. About 622,000 veterans with heart disease would become newly eligible under that scenario. VHA officials and dental providers at the selected facilities reported that such an expansion may require VA to hire additional dental providers and increase dental clinic space to accommodate the larger caseload. The report does not include formal recommendations; it is descriptive and informational in nature, providing Congress with information about current eligibility and the potential effects of an expansion.

VHA officials and dental providers from selected facilities reported that if eligibility were expanded to all veterans with heart disease, VA may need to hire additional dental providers and increase dental clinic space to accommodate the growth. VA has also reported that growth in veterans' dental eligibility continues to outpace growth in dental clinic space and its dental provider workforce capacity. Veterans groups have urged the House Veterans' Affairs Committee to support separate legislation that would expand dental benefits to millions more veterans, while the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act pilot program for certain veterans with heart disease is already underway.

The Bottom Line

Any broader expansion would add to a dental system whose eligible population has already grown substantially and on which VA obligated about $3.1 billion in fiscal year 2025. GAO's estimate provides lawmakers with a measure of the potential scale: extending comprehensive dental eligibility to all veterans with heart disease could add more than 600,000 veterans to the eligible population, a 25% increase based on 2025 data.

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