Education

5 Bills Your VA Rating EXEMPTS You From in 2026 — and Most Veterans Are Still Paying Them

by Dr. Marshall Bahr | Xterra Health

📚 Main topics

VA loan funding feeVeterans receiving compensation for a service-connected disability, even at 10%, are exempt from the VA home loan funding fee. Those who paid it before receiving their rating may be eligible for a refund. 2:04
VA healthcare copaysVeterans with a combined rating of 50% or higher generally enter Priority Group 1 and pay no copays for care or prescriptions. 3:39
Commissary, exchange, and MWR accessVeterans with any service-connected disability rating can use commissaries, exchanges, and MWR facilities, including online access. 4:11
National Park passesVeterans with a non-dishonorable discharge can get a free annual America the Beautiful Veterans Pass; veterans with a permanent disability may qualify for a lifetime Access Pass. 7:24
Property tax exemptionsMany states offer disabled veterans partial or full property tax relief, but eligibility and benefits vary by state and sometimes county. 8:26

✨ Key takeaways

Benefits require actionThese benefits generally do not activate automatically, so veterans need to check eligibility and apply. 1:03
Ratings can reduce billsA VA rating may be worth more than its monthly compensation by removing fees and recurring expenses. 4:11
Rules vary locallyProperty tax exemptions differ widely, including the rating required and whether retroactive relief is available. 9:27

🧠 Lessons learned

Check past paymentsVeterans who paid the VA loan funding fee despite qualifying for an exemption may be able to recover it. 3:07
Ask about retroactive reliefWhen checking property tax eligibility, ask the county assessor whether any exemption can apply to previous years. 9:59
Don’t assume access endedVeterans with a service-connected disability rating can use commissary, exchange, and MWR benefits, even if they thought those privileges ended after service. 4:44

🏁 Conclusion/next steps

Use the checklistCheck your funding fee, confirm your VA healthcare priority group, look into commissary access and park passes, and call your county tax assessor about exemptions. 11:32
Explore claims supportThe speaker promotes Xterra Health’s medical evidence guidance, C&P exam preparation, and nexus letters for veterans pursuing a rating that reflects their conditions. 10:30

Transcript excerpt

0:00 This letter isn't just a monthly check. It's a stack of coupons the government already approved, and most of you are handing your card to the cashier and paying full price anyway. So, let's go collect your discounts. Here's the thing nobody tells you when your rating comes through. That percentage doesn't just trigger a monthly payment to you. It also unlocks a whole second set of benefits, bills you're legally allowed to stop paying. And here's the catch that costs veterans and costs veterans a fortune. Almost none of them turn on

0:32 automatically. You have to know how to apply for them. Nobody at the VA calls to say, "Hey, I need you to stop paying that." No letter shows up reminding you to stop paying that. The money just quietly stays in someone else's pocket. And it's your money because the system runs on you knowing to ask for it. Between these five things I'm going to tell you, we're talking potentially thousands of dollars a year that veterans leave on the table simply because they never knew to reach for it. So, today I'm going to count them down,

🔒 The full, searchable transcript is available with Pro.

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