What VA health benefits are available to Priority Group 5 veterans for non-service-connected inpatient rehab?

1. Who is Priority Group 5 and why it matters

Priority Group 5 commonly includes veterans who receive VA pension benefits — typically wartime veterans who are low-income and age 65 or older or younger veterans who are permanently and totally disabled — and placement in this group determines enrollment and copay expectations under VA’s priority-group system ^{[1] [2]}. The VA assigns veterans to one of eight priority groups to manage enrollment and funding; if a veteran qualifies for multiple groups, VA places them in the highest applicable group ^{[5] [2]}.

2. What services the VA’s Medical Benefits Package covers

VA’s Medical Benefits Package provides a broad set of services to enrolled veterans — including inpatient hospital care, rehabilitation and therapy services (physical therapy, vision rehab, TBI therapy), prosthetics/rehab centers, and geriatric evaluation and management — and those services are generally part of the standard package available across priority groups ^{[5] [6] [7]}. Multiple sources emphasize that the same core services are generally available to enrolled veterans, though access and cost-sharing can vary by priority status and circumstances ^{[2] [6]}.

3. Non-service-connected inpatient rehabilitation: availability vs. cost

Available sources indicate that non–service-connected inpatient rehabilitation can be provided under the Medical Benefits Package — rehabilitation, geriatric evaluation, and inpatient rehab units are explicitly described in VA publications ^{[5] [6] [7]}. But whether a Priority Group 5 veteran pays copayments for that inpatient rehab depends on policy details: one summary states inpatient care is free for most in Priority Groups 1–6 (which would suggest little or no inpatient copay for many PG5 vets), while VA’s copay pages and other guidance still warn that non–service-connected inpatient care may require an inpatient care copay based on income limits ^{[3] [4]}. This is a direct tension in the available reporting ^{[3] [4]}.

4. How copays and income rules complicate the picture

The VA copay page explains veterans “will pay either our full copay rate or reduced copay rate” and that high-cost area adjustments or income limits can change inpatient copay liability; the page explicitly notes: “If the inpatient care isn’t for a service-connected condition… you may need to pay an inpatient care copay based on priority group 7 or 8 income limits,” and encourages veterans to contact VA to determine eligibility for reduced inpatient copay rates ^[4]. Another source contends inpatient care is free for most in Priority Groups 1–6, framing an apparent rule that often exempts these groups from inpatient copays, but it does not replace the VA’s specific copay guidance tied to income and reason for care ^{[3] [5]}.

5. Practical steps and unanswered specifics

For a Priority Group 5 veteran seeking non–service-connected inpatient rehab, the practical course is to confirm enrollment status and ask VA about inpatient copay rules for their specific situation — VA’s copay page recommends veterans call to determine reduced rates and notes geographic income thresholds can affect liability ^[4]. Exact dollar amounts, deductibles, or days-of-care thresholds are discussed variably in secondary overviews (e.g., Military.com and other explainers), but VA’s own pages and the Health Care Benefits Overview should be the authoritative references for precise charges and exemptions ^{[4] [3] [5]}.

6. Conflicting claims and how to interpret them

There is a clear conflict in the sources: summaries saying “inpatient care is free for most in Priority Groups 1–6” ^[3] versus VA guidance that non–service-connected inpatient care “may need” an inpatient copay and that income/geographic thresholds influence reduced rates ^[4]. The correct interpretation is that the Medical Benefits Package makes rehab services available to enrolled veterans ^{[5] [6]}, but copay liability for non–service-connected inpatient stays hinges on detailed VA rules—income, location, and whether the condition is service-connected—so blanket statements about “free” inpatient care for all PG5 veterans are not supported without checking individual circumstances ^{[4] [3]}.

7. Bottom line for Priority Group 5 veterans

Priority Group 5 veterans are eligible for the VA’s standard medical benefits package, which includes inpatient rehabilitation services, but cost-sharing for non–service-connected inpatient rehab is not uniformly zero — it depends on VA copay rules, income/geographic thresholds, and whether an exemption applies; veterans should consult VA’s copay page or contact VA directly to get case-specific answers and exact copay amounts ^{[5] [4] [6]}. Available sources do not give a single definitive rule that all PG5 veterans will always have inpatient rehab fully covered without copays ^{[4] [3]}.