Eligible Veterans Can Shop At Defense Commissaries
In 2020, commissary shopping benefits expanded to include more Veterans, as the Purple Heart and Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act of 2018 authorized the Department of Defense to expand access to commissary shopping privileges to additional valued members of the military community.
Expanding privileges
The law, which took effect January 1, 2020, extends commissary shopping privileges to:
- Veterans with any VA-documented service-connected disabilities
- Purple Heart recipients
- Former prisoners of war and
- Individuals assessed, approved and designated as primary family caregivers to eligible Veterans under VAs Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers.
Veterans and designated caregivers are encouraged to check their commissary privilege qualifications.
Obtaining the proper identification
Obtain a Veteran Health Identification Card and ensure it reflects eligibility through one of the required designations: SERVICE CONNECTED, MEDAL OF HONOR, PURPLE HEART or FORMER POW. The card and designation will be required during the commissary check-out process.
Find out more about how to obtain a VHIC here.
Checking installation access policies
Contact the commissarys installation and ask about current installation access policies.
Checking for user fees before paying
Shoppers will not be subject to user fees if paying with the MILITARY STAR® card, cash or EBT. Learn more about the MILITARY STAR® card here.
Enjoying commissary benefits, value
Which Forms Of Id Are Required For Base Access
The DoD recently announced the rules for how newly eligible veterans and caregivers will be able to gain base access to take advantage of the Commissary, Exchange, and MWR facilities.
Veterans with a service-connected disability will need a Veterans Health Identification Card, or VHIC, to able to gain access to the bases and use these facilities. The VHIC must state the veterans eligibility. For example, the card must have a designation for Purple Heart, Former POW, or Service Connected rating. This is indicated on the card itself.
The new Veterans ID Card, or VIC, is not an authorized form of ID for this program and will not work for base access. Only the VHIC qualifies as an authorized form of ID.
Primary Family Caregivers must have an eligibility letter from VAs Office of Community Care.
Is There Any Way To Tell What Items Are Cheaper Than Usual
DeCA posts all of its sale items categorized by store on its website. You must log-in with your first name, last name, birth date and last four digits of your social security number to access it. The list is organized by type of food or you can see “all sale items” at once in alphabetical order. You will be able to view the item name, size, percentage off and total price.
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New Law Paves The Way For Millions To Get Commissary And Exchange Benefits
Starting January 1st, 2020, roughly 3 million more people will get commissary and exchange benefits. This will include all service-connected disabled Veterans, Purple Heart recipients, former prisoners of war and primary Veteran caregivers. Federal officials determined earlier this year that Veterans would use their Veterans Health Identification Card in order to get access to DoD and Coast Guard installations, and to shop at commissaries, exchanges and use certain morale, welfare, and recreation facilities.
Previously only Veterans with 100% service-connected disability ratings were authorized for shopping and MWR privileges. The new law now allows all those with service-connected disability ratings, including 0%, to have the same privileges. Paving the way for 3 million more people will get commissary and exchange benefits.
During the first visit to the installation, eligible Veterans and caregivers must stop at the visitor control center. Depending on the type of installation and the credential presented, the Veteran and caregivers may be enrolled for recurring access, so they wouldnt have to stop at the visitor control center each time they visited in the future. Eligible Veterans must bring a drivers license, Veterans health I.D card, proof of insurance, and vehicle registration when applying at the visitors center. To apply, visit the VA healthcare benefits website, or call 877-222-8387. You can also visit your nearest VA health care facility.
How To Obtain A Veterans Healthcare Identification Card
The Veteran Health Identification Card will be the primary form of base access under this new program.
The VHIC is issued to veterans with a service-connected disability rating who are enrolled in the VA healthcare system and are eligible for VA healthcare benefits. The VHICs are issued at VA medical centers and are used for ID when checking in for appointments at the VA.
You can apply for VA healthcare benefits in the following ways:
- In-person at your local VA medical facility,
- Or by phone by calling 1-877-222-VETS . Hours are 8 am 8 pm EST, M-F.
You can visit a VA healthcare facility to have your picture taken for the Veteran Health Identification Card after your enrollment has been verified. Be sure to bring proper identification with you, such as a government-issued ID. Your local VA medical center can provide additional information regarding acceptable forms of ID.
The VA will mail your card within 7-10 business days.
Note:
- The card must display the Veterans eligibility status .
Under the current rules, veterans will only be allowed to access the base if they have the Veterans Healthcare Identification Card. Those who do not have a VHIC or are ineligible for a VHIC will not be able to access DoD and Coast Guard installations.
However, they would still be eligible to use the online Exchanges, which opened up eligibility to all veterans in 2018.
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What Access Does This Cover
Those who are eligible for base access under these new rules will be eligible to access the following facilities starting Jan. 1, 2020:
- Military Service Exchanges
- Select MWR Retail Facilities
Some examples of the MWR Retail activities include entertainment, clubs, recreational lodging/resorts, special interest activities, bowling, golf, restaurants, marinas, equipment rental, movie theaters, vehicle storage, kennels, recreational lodging, RV campgrounds, AmericanForcesTravel.com and more.
Use of MWR activities primarily funded by appropriations and child development programs are not authorized under this program.
*Note About Commissary Access: The DoD is required to charge a small fee to new users who are eligible solely under the Purple Heart and Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act of 2018, to cover any increase in costs to the U.S. Treasury for processing commercial .
Do I Need To Apply For Commissary And Exchange Privileges
You dont need to apply, but youll need to have the right kind of ID at checkout. You can show your Veteran Health Identification Card or a letter from VA along with your passport or drivers license.
If you have questions, you can call us at . Were here Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET.
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The Veteran Health Identification Card Provides:
- Increased security for your personal information – no personally identifiable information is contained on the magnetic stripe or barcode.
- Unique Member Identifier — Department of Defense assigns an electronic data interchange personal identifier that allows VA to retrieve the Veterans health record.
- A salute to your military service The emblem of your latest branch of service is displayed on your card. Several special awards will also be listed.
- Accessibility Braille “VA” helps visually impaired Veterans to recognize and use the card
- Anti-Counterfeiting Microtext helps prevent reproductions
The VHIC is issued only to Veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system.
Why Expanded Access Is A Big Deal
As mentioned above, shopping on base is a tax-free experience. There are also deals, discounts, and special offers for goods and services on-base via the exchange, the commissary, or other on-base retail outlets you may not find in the local community.
Shopping at base commissaries for important food staples can be a money-saving experience some military families come to depend on. Some shoppers and military websites claim savings as high as 30% over civilian grocery chains.
For a long time, such access was restricted to active duty military members and their families, and all others who had valid, current military ID and were authorized access to the base, post, or installation. Access to on-base exchange facilities, the commissary, and other retail outlets was also allowed for all military retirees.
However, no access was permitted to those who separated from military service without retiring. This lack of access has been accepted with varying degrees of frustration in the world of servicemembers transitioning to the civilian world.
But in the 21st century some of the old restrictions are being eliminated in favor of expanded access for Purple Heart recipients, those with service-connected disabilities, former prisoners of war, and even caregivers of veterans.
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Who Benefits The Most From Expanded Commissary And Exchange Access
Those who reap the biggest benefits from expanded shopping options on base? Most likely those who serve in high-cost areas such as New York, California, Oregon, and Washington D.C. just to name a few. The higher the cost of living in a given area, the most important reduced-cost and tax-free shopping becomes to military families.
Who Can Shop At Commissaries
- Purple Heart Recipients
- Former Prisoners of War
Effective Jan. 1, 2020, the fiscal 2019 National Defense Authorization Act expanded the pool of eligible exchange, commissary shoppers to include all service-connected disabled veterans, Purple Heart recipients, former prisoners of war and primary veteran caregivers. The benefit was also extended to MWR revenue generating facilities. All approved groups may register for online accounts at the MyCommissary Portal to sign up for the rewards card and access flyers and services. Find out more about the expanded on-base commissary & exchange privileges for veterans and caregivers.
Reserve and National Guard families can also partake in some of the commissary benefits. If there is a host commissary with units that have at least 150 members and offers certain items to them at a sale price. Certain commissaries allow products to be pre-ordered and shipped to the site, however, unless you live close to a commissary its not really worth the hassle. If you want to take advantage of military shopping discounts when youre nowhere near a base, try the Exchange online. The Exchange is the department store on base. Like the commissary, the Exchange is meant to be an extension of the benefits offered to the soldiers and their families. Both facilities offer discounted goods and services to all those with a valid military ID.
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What Is A ‘case Lot Sale’
The commissary periodically hosts bulk item sales known as “case lot sales” in the parking lot. These events are held a few times a year at most bases. The agency also hosts these special sales at Guard and Reserve locations nationwide.
You may be able to find items at better than normal prices at the case lot sale and items sold in bulk not normally carried by the store. That’s because the manufacturers negotiate a special sale price for these commissary events. But items are not always cheaper at a case lot event than they are throughout the year inside the store.
Am I Eligible For Commissary And Exchange Privileges
In the U.S., you may be eligible for commissary and exchange privileges if you meet one of the requirements listed below.
If youre a Veteran or service member, one of these must be true. You:
- Have a service-connected disability rating and were honorably discharged, or
- Are retired from military service, or
- Are a former prisoner of war, or
- Are a member of the Reserves, or
- Have received a Purple Heart or the Medal of Honor
If youre a family member, one of these must describe you. Youre the:
- Surviving spouse of a service member , or
- Primary family caregiver of an eligible Veteran , or
- Dependent or survivor of an eligible service member, or
- Dependent of an eligible member of the Reserves
Overseas commissary privileges vary from country to country.
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How Does Expanded Access Work
On Jan. 1, 2020, military bases were authorized to allow access to the following groups who previously were not allowed to shop at DeCA, exchanges, and certain recreational facilities on base operated by the agency known to military families as Morale, Welfare, and Recreation:
Veterans need a Veterans Health Identification Card for in-person Commissary, Military Exchange, MWR access.
Veterans
- On Jan. 1, Veterans eligible solely under this act who are eligible to obtain a Veteran Health Identification Card must use this credential for in-person installation and privilege access. The card must display the Veterans eligibility status . Here is how to get a Veterans Health Identification Card .
- Veterans eligible solely under this act who are not enrolled in or are not eligible to enroll in VA health care, or who are enrolled in VA health care, but do not possess a Veteran Health Identification Card will not have access to DoD and Coast Guard installations for in-person commissary, exchange, and MWR retail privileges, but will have full access to online exchanges and American Forces Travel.
- Medal of Honor recipients and Veterans with 100% service-connected disability ratings are eligible for DoD credentials under DoD policy.
Caregivers
Accessing Military Installations For The First Time Under These New Rules
The DoD has announced that there will be special procedures for veterans and caregivers accessing military installations for the first time under these new rules.
Visitors should stop at the visitor control center or Pass & ID office prior to their first visit to the base under these new rules. Some bases may allow veterans to sign up for recurring base access, which will allow them to bypass the visitor center on subsequent visits.
All veterans and caregivers visiting the base under these new rules are subject to the same rules as others who enter a DoD installation. This means they may be subject to vehicle inspections, background checks, and other forms of security screening.
Veterans or caregivers with felony convictions, felony arrest warrants, or other types of derogatory information related to criminal history or terrorism will not be permitted entry.
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How To Receive A Vhic
Veterans must be enrolled in the VA health care system to receive a VHIC. To enroll, you can complete an application for enrollment in VA health care by telephone without the need for a signed paper application. Just call 1-877-222-VETS Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. Eastern. You can also apply for VA healthcare benefits online at www.va.gov/healthbenefits/enroll, or in person at your local VA medical facility. Once your enrollment is verified, you can have your picture taken at your local VA medical center, and a VHIC will be mailed to you.
Can Veterans Use The Exchange In 2021
Veterans need a Veterans Health Identification Card for in-person Commissary, Military Exchange, MWR access. On January 1, Veterans eligible solely under this act who are eligible to obtain a Veteran Health Identification Card must use this credential for in-person installation and privilege access.
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Is The Commissary Worth It
Does the commissary save you more money than civilian stores? The answer is yes and no. … Generally, consumers save 30% when they shop at the commissary compared to civilian stores-assuming they shopped like the average shopper. But on occasion you’ll find the same items cheaper at civilian stores.
Mycommissary Click2go Terms And Conditions
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Does This Access Extend To Overseas Locations
Veterans and Caregivers will be able to use this benefit at military installations located in the United States and its territories and possessions. However, access cannot be guaranteed at all overseas locations due to status of forces agreements, local laws and other agreements with host countries.
Can I Shop At The Navy Exchange
Who can shop at the Navy Exchange? Currently, all active duty members from all four branches of military service, Guard & Reserve members, military retirees, Medal of Honor recipients, 100% disabled veterans and authorized family members are welcome to shop at the Navy Exchange stores as well as on-line.
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