VA health care and Medicare are separate programs
- VA health care is based on military service and works at VA facilities (or VA Community Care referrals)
- Medicare is based on age or disability and works at any Medicare-accepting provider
- Neither pays for the other: VA won't pay Medicare costs, and Medicare won't pay for care at VA facilities
- You can have both and choose which to use for each health need
The Part B decision for veterans
Part A is free for most people — enroll regardless. The real question is Part B ($202.90/month in 2026). If you rely heavily on VA care and rarely see non-VA doctors, the premium may not be worth it. But if you want the flexibility to see any doctor — or VA facilities are far from home, which matters in rural Colorado — Part B provides that freedom.
Important: VA coverage does NOT protect you from the Part B late enrollment penalty. If you skip Part B at 65 and want it later, you'll wait for General Enrollment and pay a permanent 10%-per-year penalty. There is no Special Enrollment Period for losing VA access.
VA drug coverage and Part D
Good news: VA drug coverage IS creditable for Part D. You can skip Part D without penalty as long as you keep VA pharmacy benefits, and enroll penalty-free later if your situation changes. Most veterans using VA pharmacy skip Part D. Reasons to add it anyway: frequent travel away from VA pharmacies, retail pharmacy convenience, or a drug not on the VA formulary.
TRICARE for Life (military retirees)
If you have TRICARE, you must enroll in Medicare Part B at 65 to keep TRICARE as secondary coverage. TRICARE for Life then acts as a Medigap-like wraparound — Medicare pays first, TFL pays second, typically leaving you with little to no cost-sharing. Skipping Part B means losing TRICARE coverage for Medicare-covered services.
Colorado VA facilities
- Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center (Aurora) — the flagship facility for the Eastern Colorado Health Care System
- VA Western Colorado Health Care System (Grand Junction)
- Community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs) across the state, including Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Alamosa, Durango, Montrose, and the Eastern Plains
For rural veterans far from VA facilities, the VA Community Care program and Medicare Part B together provide the broadest access to local providers.
Get help coordinating benefits
- Colorado SHIP counselors trained in veteran Medicare issues: 1-888-696-7213
- County Veterans Service Officers (CVSOs): Every Colorado county has one — free help with VA benefits
- VA Health Benefits Hotline: 1-877-222-8387
- TRICARE for Life: 1-866-773-0404
- Licensed Medicare agents who understand VA/Medicare coordination