VA Preventive Care Schedule: Every Screening and Vaccine Veterans Should Get, by Age
Updated September 2026 · Checked against VA.gov and 38 CFR · Sources below
On this page
- Quick answer: what VA preventive care includes
- The VA-specific screenings every enrolled veteran gets (PTSD, MST, toxic exposure and more)
- Screening checklist ages 18-39
- Screening checklist ages 40-64
- Screening checklist ages 65 and up
- Cancer screening guidelines (breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, prostate)
- Adult vaccine schedule at VA
- Women veterans: what's different
- What preventive care costs at VA (and the copay gap)
- How to book screenings and use My HealtheVet reminders
- Common questions
Quick answer: what VA preventive care includes
This section is being written. See the short answer above and the sources below for what is already confirmed.
The VA-specific screenings every enrolled veteran gets (PTSD, MST, toxic exposure and more)
This section is being written. See the short answer above and the sources below for what is already confirmed.
Screening checklist ages 18-39
This section is being written. See the short answer above and the sources below for what is already confirmed.
Screening checklist ages 40-64
This section is being written. See the short answer above and the sources below for what is already confirmed.
Screening checklist ages 65 and up
This section is being written. See the short answer above and the sources below for what is already confirmed.
Cancer screening guidelines (breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, prostate)
This section is being written. See the short answer above and the sources below for what is already confirmed.
Adult vaccine schedule at VA
This section is being written. See the short answer above and the sources below for what is already confirmed.
Women veterans: what's different
This section is being written. See the short answer above and the sources below for what is already confirmed.
What preventive care costs at VA (and the copay gap)
This section is being written. See the short answer above and the sources below for what is already confirmed.
How to book screenings and use My HealtheVet reminders
This section is being written. See the short answer above and the sources below for what is already confirmed.
Common questions
- Is preventive care free at the VA?
- Most is. Screenings, immunizations and the annual wellness visit are free for most enrolled veterans, but VA is not bound by ACA preventive-care rules, so priority group 7-8 veterans can owe outpatient and medication copays for some preventive services.
- What screenings does every VA patient get?
- VA screens all enrolled veterans for alcohol use, depression, high blood pressure, HIV, military sexual trauma, obesity, PTSD and tobacco use, plus a toxic exposure screening at least every five years under the PACT Act.
- When should veterans start colon cancer screening?
- At age 45 for average risk, with a colonoscopy every 10 years or a stool-based FIT test every year, continuing to age 75.
- Does the VA provide vaccines?
- Yes. Enrolled veterans can get flu, COVID-19, Tdap, shingles (from age 50), pneumococcal (65+) and other CDC-recommended vaccines at VA facilities and, for flu, at in-network retail pharmacies.
- Does VA cover mammograms?
- Yes. Following USPSTF's 2024 update, women veterans are offered mammograms every two years from age 40, with earlier or more frequent screening if high-risk.
Sources
- VA recommends that all veterans be screened for alcohol abuse, depression, high blood pressure, HIV, military sexual trauma, obesity, PTSD and tobacco use.
- VA recommends an annual flu vaccination and a tetanus shot at least every 10 years.
- The PACT Act requires VA to offer every enrolled veteran a toxic exposure screening at least once every five years.
- USPSTF recommends biennial screening mammography for women aged 40 to 74.
- Because VA is outside the ACA's preventive-care protections, priority group 7-8 veterans can owe copays for preventive services; the Copay Fairness for Veterans Act (Duckworth/Collins) would eliminate them.
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This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice, and Veterans Alliance is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Rules and rates change; the linked VA.gov pages are always the authoritative source.