For direct online access to VA benefits and resources, create an account here.

Losing one’s eyesight can be a debilitating and frightening occurrence, one that can affect so many aspects of everyday life. Whether the condition may be cataracts, retinitis, glaucoma or just low vision, there are measures one can take to protect or prevent. Thankfully, a number of them are covered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and its health care system.

They are:

routine eye exams

preventative vision testing (for glaucoma)

To schedule one of these tests, you can either call your primary VA care physician, or securely message someone on your health care team by clicking here.

To find out if you qualify — through your VA care — to receive free eyeglasses, click here. There are a number of things that will make a vet automatically eligible for this benefit, including a Purple Heart or being a Prisoner of War (POW).