The number of veterans who qualify for dental care through the Department of Veterans Affairs increased by roughly 70% between fiscal years 2020 and 2025, reaching 2.3 million individuals by the end of fiscal year 2025, according to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report published Sept. 23. The VA obligated $3.1 billion for dental care in fiscal year 2025 alone, while Congress weighs proposals to extend benefits to veterans diagnosed with heart disease.
Growth in VA Dental Eligibility and Expenditures
Entitled “Veterans Health Care: Information on Eligibility for and Use of Dental Benefits,” the study was ordered by the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, which became Public Law 118-210 in January 2025. GAO analyzed Veterans Health Administration data from fiscal and calendar years 2020 through 2025, conducted interviews with VHA officials, and visited three VHA facilities participating in pilot programs for veterans lacking standard dental coverage.
A major factor behind the substantial growth in the eligible pool was the rise in former service members qualifying via a 100% service-connected disability rating or a 100% service-connection compensation rate stemming from unemployment. Demographics also shifted during the study period. Veterans under the age of 50 accounted for 21% of those eligible in fiscal year 2020, but that share grew to 36% by fiscal year 2025. Other characteristics, such as sex, race, ethnicity, and rural residence, remained relatively stable.
As of February, approximately 26% of the more than 9 million veterans enrolled in the VHA qualified for dental benefits. This left nearly three-quarters of enrolled veterans without comprehensive VA dental coverage.
Potential Expansion for Veterans With Heart Disease
Under the Dole Act, the VA was mandated to initiate a two-year pilot program by January to offer dental coverage to specific veterans suffering from heart disease. Beyond the pilot, Congress has considered broader legislative expansions that could extend coverage to all veterans diagnosed with heart disease.
GAO estimated that extending eligibility to all veterans with heart disease would grow the eligible population by 25%. This would add approximately 622,000 veterans to the roughly 2.45 million who were eligible at some point during 2025, bringing the total to about 3.07 million.
The American Heart Association and other public health organizations have documented a clinical link between poor oral health and serious medical conditions like heart disease, giving the legislative debate significant public health implications. However, VHA officials and dental providers at selected facilities cautioned that such an expansion would require the agency to hire additional dental providers and expand clinic space to handle the increased patient volume. VA reports indicate that growth in dental eligibility continues to outpace both facility capacity and workforce numbers.
Veterans Groups Push for Broader Legislative Action
Alongside the implementation of the Dole Act pilot program, veterans service organizations have continued lobbying lawmakers. In May, advocacy groups urged the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee to support separate legislation that would extend dental benefits to millions more veterans beyond the current heart disease pilot.
The GAO report remains descriptive and informational, providing Congress with data on current eligibility and the projected impacts of expansion without making formal recommendations. Meanwhile, federal spending on veteran dental services continues to climb, driven by statutory expansions and an evolving veteran demographic.
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