Honoring All Who Served

November 11th, 2023

4.4 million veterans live in the United States’ rural and highly rural areas.  The Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Office of Rural Health (ORH) estimates that 2.8 million rural veterans are enrolled in and rely on the VA’s health care system.

On Friday, the White House announced the expansion of healthcare coverage for the nation’s veterans. A no-cost system will be created for World War II veterans seeking care, and enrollment for all veterans applying for benefits after exposure to toxins will be accelerated.

The White House announced in a press release that starting this month, all living World War II veterans can access health care services from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) at no cost, including nursing home care.

According to the Pew Research Center, there are 18.3 million veterans living in America in 2023.  Of those, 89% are men and 11% are women.  The largest veteran population – 7.8 million – served in the Gulf War era. 

44% of the men and women serving in the U.S. military come from rural America.  Overall, the United States is the world’s third-largest army in terms of workforce, with about 1.4 million active military personnel in 2022.