VA Health Care (Care At VA Run Facilities)
IMPORTANT NOTES:
VA health care is NOT a health insurance program!
Veterans CAN receive treatment for non service-connected disabilities!
If you are a recently separated Veteran you may be eligible for TRICARE health insurance for you and your family.
Click HERE for more information.
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has a reputation for failing to meet the needs of Veterans - a simple search on reddit will bring up numerous accounts of problems that Veterans have had with the VA. That said, the VA has made and continues to make huge strides, and supporting Veterans and their needs has bipartisan support at the Federal level. While the VA still has room to improve, the biggest problem you are likely to still experience is long wait times for appointments. If someone tells you the VA is no good, find out how recent their experience was.
As this article is fairly extensive, please use the Table of Contents or a search function to help you locate the information you are interested in. Alternatively, you can read everything. Cuz knowledge?
However, be aware that it's impossible to cover every single program or niche benefit the VA provides here. If you don't see something explicitly mentioned you should bring it up to your VA Primary Care Provider, as they should be in the best position to advise you on your medical and health care needs.
NOTES:
This article is about receiving health care at VA run facilities. For VA health care at VA approved facilities or emergency use of a non-VA Emergency Room (ER) please see the article on the Community Care Program.
Alternatively, another place that can help Veterans is your local Vet Center.
For Veterans who are traveling or living abroad they should click HERE.
Table of Contents
Eligibility Requirements
There are various different criteria that Veterans can use to qualify to access VA health care.
Basic Eligibility
Served before September 7, 1980;
If you enlisted after September 7, 1980, or entered Active Duty after October 16, 1981, you must have served 24 continuous months, unless any below are true:
You were Discharged for a disability that was caused—or made worse—by your Active Duty service, OR were discharged for a hardship or “early out”.
Served the full period for which you were called to Active Duty.
If you’re a current or former member of the Reserves or National Guard, you must have been called to Active Duty by a federal order and completed the full period for which you were called or ordered to Active Duty.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Veterans who have a Dishonorable discharge are INELIGIBLE for VA health care. Veterans with an Other than Honorable (OTH) discharge may be eligible for VA health care.
Active Duty status for training purposes only, does NOT qualify; based purely on that service.
Further Eligibility Factors
Receive financial compensation (payments) from the VA for a service-connected disability.
Have a non-compensable (0%) service-connected disability.
Were discharged for a disability resulting from something that happened to you in the line of duty.
Were discharged for a disability that got worse in the line of duty.
Have a documented TERA exposure.
Receive VA pension benefits.
Are a former prisoner of war.
Have received a Purple Heart.
Have received a Medal of Honor.
Receive (or qualify for) Medicaid benefits.
Served in Vietnam between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975.
Served in Southwest Asia during the Gulf War between August 2, 1990, and November 11, 1998.
Served at least 30 days at Camp Lejeune between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987.
Served in a combat theater within the past 10 years.
If none of the above apply to you, you MAY STILL qualify for care based on your Income or another criteria not listed here. So JUST APPLY!
Applying
To apply for VA health care visit this link.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Active Duty Servicemembers:
While you may apply for VA health care while you are on terminal leave you CANNOT receive any treatment from the VA till after you have officially separated from the military, unless you meet any of the below conditions:
You need emergency or urgent care,
You need routine care and you have a valid TRICARE referral or authorization, or
The VA health care facility you’re visiting has a VA/DoD sharing agreement.
Priority Groups
When you apply for VA health care, you’ll be assigned into a priority group. Those in a higher priority group (lower numbers are ‘higher’) supposedly can get appointments sooner than those in a worse group. Functionally, you may not notice any real difference between groups.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
If you qualify under more than 1 group you will be placed into the highest group.
The VA DOES use these groups to help determine what co-pays someone may owe.
Groups are NOT permanent meaning:
If later qualify for a higher group you will eventually be bumped up.
If your group is based on income, changes in income can result in your group changing!
To manually update the VA about your income fill out, sign, date VA Form 10-10EZR and mail to
VA Health Eligibility Center 2957 Clairmont Road, Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30329Failure to report increases in income MAY result in a debt being created when the IRS reports your income to the VA (if you are in a priority group based upon your income).
| Priority Group | Qualifiers |
|---|---|
| 1 | Have a Combined service-connected evaluation of 50% or more; or received the Medal of Honor (MOH). |
| 2 | Have a combined service-connected evaluation of 30 or 40%. |
| 3 | Have a combined service-connected evaluation of 10 or 20%; or are a former prisoner of war (POW); or received the Purple Heart; or were awarded special eligibility classification under Title 38 U.S.C § 1151. |
| 4 | Are receiving VA aid and attendance or housebound benefits; or are Catastrophically disabled. |
| 5 | Don't have a service-connected disability; or you have a 0% service-connected disability, AND you have an annual income level that's below VAs Adjusted income limits (based on your resident zip code); or are receiving VA pension benefits; or are eligible for Medicaid programs. |
| 6 | Veterans who served in a combat theater within the past 10 years; or have a 0% combined rating, but being paid at 10%; or were exposed to ionizing radiation during atmospheric testing or during the occupation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; or participated in Project 112/SHAD; or served in the Republic of Vietnam between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975; or served in the Persian Gulf War between August 2, 1990, and November 11, 1998; or served on Active Duty at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987; or have a documented TERA exposure. |
| 7 | Your gross household income is below the Geographically adjusted income limits (GMT) for where you live. |
| 8 | Your gross household income is above VA income limits and geographically adjusted income limits for where you live. |
| 8a | Have a 0% combined evaluation, and enrolled in the VA health care program before January 16, 2003, and have remained enrolled since that date and/or were placed in this subpriority group because your eligibility status changed. |
| 8b | Have a 0% combined evaluation, enrolled in the VA health care program on or after June 15, 2009, and Have income that exceeds current VA or geographical limits by 10% or less. |
| 8c | Don't have a service-connected condition, and enrolled in the VA health care program as of January 16, 2003, and have remained enrolled since that date and/or were placed in this subpriority group because your eligibility status changed. |
| 8d | Don't have a service-connected condition, and enrolled in the VA health care program on or after June 15, 2009, and have income that exceeds current VA or geographical limits by 10% or less. |
| 8e | Have a 0% combined evaluation, and don't meet the criteria for subpriority group a or b above. |
| 8f | Don't have a service-connected condition, and don't meet the criteria for subpriority group c or d above. |
Health Care/Treatment Coverage
VA health benefits cover a wide breath of issues and services.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
VA will NOT cover:
Abortions and abortion counseling
Cosmetic surgery (unless medically necessary)
Gender-affirming surgical procedures
Health club or spa membership
Certain drugs, biological, and medical devices
That are NOT be approved by the Food and Drug Administration, unless part of formal clinical trial under an approved research program or when prescribed under a compassionate use exemption.
Preventive Care Services
Counseling on inheritance of genetically determined disease
Health education, including nutrition education
Immunization against infectious disease
Periodic medical exams (including gender-specific exams)
Inpatient Care Services
Acute care
Dialysis
Emergency Room Visits (ER)
Medical Surgical
Mental Health
Specialized Care Units
Intensive Care Units (medical, surgical, mental health, cardiac)
PolyTrauma Centers
Spinal Cord Injury Centers
Transplant Care Units
Traumatic Brain Injury Units
Ancillary Services
VA health care providers may employ ancillary services to help diagnose or treat your medical condition.
Blind and Vision Rehabilitation
Chiropractic Services
Dental (has additional eligibility requirements see link for details)
Diagnostic Laboratory
Nutrition and Food Service
Nuclear Medicine (imaging)
Occupational Therapy
Pharmacy
Physical Therapy
Prosthetics (artificial limbs, equipment, devices)
Radiology (x-rays and imaging)
Radiation Oncology (cancer care)
Recreation and Creative Arts Therapies
Respiratory Therapy
Social Work (housing, discharge planning, family support)
Speech/Language Pathology
Traumatic Brain Injury
Specialty Care Services
Unique or complicated courses of care.
Anesthesiology
Bariatric surgery (weight loss surgery)
Cardiology – Vascular (heart and blood circulation)
Chaplain (spiritual support)
Critical Care Specialty
Dental (has additional eligibility requirements see link for details)
Dermatology (skin)
Diabetes and Endocrinology
Geriatric Care
Gynecology Care (women’s health)
Infectious Disease
Nephrology (kidney)
Neurology (nerves)
Mental Health
Oncology (cancer)
Orthopedic Surgery
Orthotic and Prosthetic (amputee care and custom orthotics)
Pacemaker (heart)
Pain Management
Podiatry (feet)
Pulmonary (lungs)
Robotic-Assisted Surgery
Spinal Cord Injury
Transplant Surgery (heart, lung, liver, etc.)
Urology
Vascular Surgery
Women’s Care
Mental Health Care
VA provides specialty inpatient and outpatient mental health services at its medical centers and Community-based outpatient clinics (in addition, readjustment counseling services may be available for you and members of your family at Vet Centers across the nation).
Evidence Based Psychotherapy Programs
Geriatrics
Homeless Programs
Programs for Incarcerated Veterans
Inpatient Care
Mental Health Disaster Response/Post Deployment Activities
Military Sexual Trauma (MST)
Outpatient Care
Psychosocial Rehabilitation & Recovery Services
Residential Care
Specialized PTSD Services
Substance Use Disorders
Suicide Programs
Violence Prevention
Women’s Health
Women’s gender-specific health care includes things like (menopause evaluation and symptom management, osteoporosis, incontinence, birth control, breast and gynecological care, maternity, and limited infertility services).
Screening and disease prevention programs (for example, mammograms, bone density screening, and cervical cancer screening).
Routine gynecologic services available through your local VA facility include:
Birth control counseling and management
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccinations
Pelvic exams, ultrasounds
Pre-pregnancy care
Treatment and prevention of STIs
Your provider can assist with routine exams, diagnosis, and management of:
Abnormal cervical screening results
Abnormal vaginal bleeding
Breast (mammograms) and other women’s cancer (pap smears) screenings
Infertility evaluation
Pelvic/abdominal pain
Sexual dysfunction
Vaginal symptoms (dryness/infections)
Infertility Services
The VA offers several infertility diagnostic testing and treatments for BOTH male and female Veterans.
Diagnostic Testing
| Females | Males |
|---|---|
| Laboratory blood testing: follicle stimulating hormone (FSH); thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) | Laboratory blood testing: serum testosterone, FSH, LH, estradiol |
| Genetic counseling and testing | Genetic counseling and testing |
| Pelvic and/or transvaginal ultrasound | Semen analysis |
| Hysterosalpingogram | Transrectal and/or scrotal ultrasonography |
| Saline-infused sonohysterogram | Postejaculatory urinalysis |
Infertility Treatments
IMPORTANT NOTES:
The VA does NOT cover the costs associated with donor sperm, donor eggs, donor embryos, or gestational surrogacy.
The VA is NOT authorized to provide or cover the cost of in vitro fertilization (IVF). UNLESS:
The Veteran has a service-connected condition that causes infertility
The Veteran is legally married
Male spouse can produce sperm
Female spouse has an intact uterus and can produce eggs
The VA provides infertility treatment and services through Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI) community providers who are part of VA’s Patient-Centered Community Care (PC3) network.
| Females | Males |
|---|---|
| Surgical correction of structural pathology | Evaluation and treatment of erectile dysfunction |
| Reversal of tubal ligation | Vasectomy reversal |
| Intrauterine insemination (IUI) | Surgical correction of structural pathology |
| Medication for ovulation induction (e.g., clomiphene) | Sperm retrieval techniques |
| Injectable gonadotropin medications | Ejaculation techniques (e.g., electroejaculation,vibratory stimulation) |
| Hormonal therapies (e.g., controlled ovarian hyperstimulation) | Hormonal therapies (e.g., clomiphene citrate, human chorionic gonadotropin, phosphodiesterase type 5 medications, testosterone |
| Oocyte cryopreservation for medically indicated conditions | Sperm cryopreservation for medically indicated conditions |
| Additional hormonal therapies as approved by VA Pharmacy Benefits Management |
Pharmacy
VA's prescription benefit provides medically necessary medications.
You can find a list of the medications on the VA National Formulary at the Pharmacy Benefit Management (PBM) Website, or you can call your local VA pharmacist to ask whether a medication is on the formulary. There is also a useful search function: Formulary Advisor.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
The VA will NOT automatically send Veterans refills for medications.
As such, it is important that Veterans place their refill orders in at least 2-3 weeks before they expect to run out, so that your request can be processed and allow time for your medications to be shipped to you.
To get refills use any of the following options:
Online: HealtheVet.
Over the phone: Call the refill telephone number on the paperwork that came with your medication. You will need your prescription number for each medication you plan on having refilled.
Go to your VA pharmacy.
Frequently Asked Questions
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If your current prescription has no more refills, but your Primary Care Provider wants you to stay on your medication, you will need a new prescription.
Contact your VA provider as soon as possible to have the medication renewed. If your VA facility has the AudioRenewal system, you can use the automated telephone system to send a message to your provider and request a renewal. You may also send a secure message to your provider online from HealtheVet.
Certain narcotics and controlled substance medications CANNOT be refilled. In this case, a new prescription is required for each new supply.
-
Yes — there is a process that permits your VA health care provider to prescribe a “non-formulary” drug if your special needs require it.
Here are some of the reasons why your VA health care provider might consider prescribing a non-formulary medication for you:
You should not receive the formulary drug for safety reasons.
No response or not the desired response to the formulary drug(s).
The VA National Formulary offers no acceptable alternatives.
If the above condition(s) are meet your provider should not have trouble getting something non-fomulary. If they give you trouble still, reach out to your Patient advocate!
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Medications that are NOT approved by the Food and Drug Administration, unless part of formal clinical trial under an approved research program or when prescribed under a compassionate use exemption - CANNOT be prescribed by the VA!
-
Short answer: Your VA provider will usually rewrite the prescription - allowing the VA to fill it.
Long answer: The VA is generally not authorized to fill prescriptions unless they are written by a VA provider. The total medication management for a prescription is the responsibility of the provider who writes that prescription. If you are receiving care from a non-VA Primary Care Provider, your VA providers need to know about all of the medications (prescription, over-the-counter, and herbal supplements) that you are taking. You also need to make sure that your private provider is aware of the medical treatment and medications you are receiving from the VA.
If your non-VA Primary Care Provider has prescribed a medication that is not on the VA National Formulary (that is, a “non-formulary” medication), your VA Primary Care Provider may elect to re-write that prescription for a VA National Formulary medication. Sometimes this is as simple as substituting a generic for a name-brand.
If your VA health care provider believes that you should not receive the VA National Formulary medication, an alternative will be sought. Your VA health care provider may need to contact your non-VA Primary Care Provider to obtain access to medical documents that support using a non-formulary medication.
Durable Medical Equipment (DME)/Expendable Medical Supplies
If your Primary Care Provider has deemed it medically necessary, you are eligible for various FREE medical equipment/supplies.
Here is an incomplete list of examples, if you feel like you should be eligible for something else speak with your Primary Care Provider!
Air Conditioner
Blood pressure monitor
Catheters
Electric hospital beds
Electric scooters
Electric wheelchairs
Environmental Control Unit (ECU)
Eye glasses
Hearing aids
Hearing aid batteries
Hearing aid accessories
Incontinence supplies (pads)
Invalid Lifts
Manual wheelchairs
Mobility and/or Walking aids
Oxygen + supplies
Pill box
Pill cutter
Porch lifts
Prosthetic socks
Ramps
Seat lift mechanisms
Shoe inserts
Shower bar
Shower chair
Specialized sporting equipment
Standing tables
Stair glides
HOWEVER, here is a list of things the VA is NOT allowed to cover:
Bed linens
Exercise equipment
Hot tubs
Queen/king size beds
Recliner chairs
Remote controls
Spas
Sporting equipment (normal)
Stair climbing wheelchairs
Swimming pools
Items prescribed solely for convenience or personal comfort
Cost (Co-pays)
This section is for care the Veteran receives at a VA run facility NOT community care.
To see current co-pay amounts click HERE.
Copayments Owed by Priority Group
| Priority Group | Inpatient Hospital Care | Outpatient Medical Care | Medication | Extended Care Services |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | None | None | None | None |
| 2 | None | None | YES | None |
| 3 | None | None | YES | None |
| 4 | None | None | None | YES |
| 5 | None | None | YES | YES |
| 6 | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| 7 | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| 8 | YES | YES | YES | YES |
Copayments for Maternity Related Care
| Service | Priority Group 1 | PG 2 | PG 3 | PG 4 | PG 5 | PG 6 | PG 7 | PG 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breast Pumps and Supplies Through VA | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None |
| Education* | None | None | None | None | None | YES | YES | YES |
| Lab Tests | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None |
| Labor and Delivery | None | None | None | None | None | YES** | YES** | YES |
| Newborn Care (Day of Birth + 7 Days) | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None |
| Postpartum Contraception | None | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Prenatal and Postpartum Visits | None | None | None | None | None | YES | YES | YES |
| Prescription Medications | None | YES | YES | None | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Prosthetics Through VA | None | None | None | None | None | None | None | None |
| Specialty Consultations (e.g., Maternal Fetal Medicine) | None | None | None | None | None | YES | YES | YES |
| Abortion | NOT COVERED | |||||||
| Ultrasound | None | None | None | None | None | YES | YES | YES |
*Childbirth, parenting classes, nutrition counseling, and breastfeeding support and lactation classes. Based on type of education provided, $15 copay may apply.
**Only charged 20% of VA’s inpatient co-payment rate for hospital stays.
Exemptions
The following Veterans/situations do NOT owe co-pays/generate a co-pay!
Veterans NEVER owe co-pays for treatment/medication related to service-connected disabilities, regardless of what priority group they may be in;
Care that is part of a VA-approved research project;
Care received that is potentially related to Veterans who served in a theater of combat operations after November 11, 1998. This benefit is effective for 10 years after the date of the Veteran’s most recent discharge from Active Duty;
Compensation and pension examinations requested by the VBA;
Conditions discovered in their laboratory and electrocardiograms;
Counseling and care for military sexual trauma (MST);
Former POWs;
Have income below the Income limit;
Hospice care;
In-home video telehealth care;
Laboratory services, flat film radiology services, and electrocardiograms;
Mental health peer support services;
Publicly announced VA public health initiatives;
Readjustment counseling and related mental health services;
Received a Purple Heart;
Smoking cessation services;
Veterans who the VA determines to be catastrophically disabled, as defined in 38 CFR 17.36 e;
Weight reduction services.
Help Paying Co-pays
VA offers a few options for those who may have difficulty paying their Co-pays.
Hardship Determination:
A hardship determination provides an exemption from outpatient and inpatient co-payments for the remaining calendar year. If your projected household income is substantially below your prior year’s income, you may request a hardship determination by contacting your local enrollment coordinator.
Waiver:
Veterans can request a waiver of part or all of their debt. If a waiver is granted, the Veteran will not be required to pay the amount waived. Veterans may submit a completed VA Form 5655 (Financial Status Report), along with an explanation of why the debt would cause a financial hardship.
Veterans also may submit in writing a request for a waiver hearing. The VA will notify the Veteran of the date, time, and place where the hearing will be held.
Offer in Compromise:
Veterans can apply for a compromise and propose a lesser amount as full settlement of their debt by submitting a request in writing specifying the dollar amount they can pay along with a completed VA Form 5655 (Financial Status Report).
Repayment Plans:
Veterans can establish a monthly repayment plan if they cannot pay their copayment charges when due by submitting a VA Form 1100 (Agreement to Pay Indebtedness) indicating a proposed monthly payment amount and including the account number and payment stub.
Having Private Health Insurance
VA is required by law to bill any health insurance carrier that provides coverage for you, including joint policies held by your spouse. Only Veterans treated for non service-connected conditions should see their insurance company billed for their treatment. Veterans who are treated for service-connected conditions should NOT have their insurance company billed for treatment of those conditions.
Any payment received by VA may be used to offset “dollar for dollar” a Veteran’s VA co-pay responsibility.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
If the Veteran is in a priority group that does NOT require the Veteran to pay a co-pay for non-service-connected conditions, their insurance will STILL BE BILLED! HOWEVER, the Veteran will NOT be responsible for paying their deductible or any amount that the private health insurance does NOT cover!
If the Veteran receives a bill (not an Explanation of Benefits/EOB) from their insurance anyway, they need to resolve the issue by speaking to their regional VAMC's billing department.
Traveling to Get Care
While there are various tele-health options to get care, somethings must be done in person.
Depending on your area there might FREE options to make it to appointments:
Veteran Service Organizations near you may offer transportation services;
VetRide; and
Otherwise you will need to make other arrangements at your cost, to make it to your appointments.
Travel Reimbursement
Qualifying Veterans may be entitled to reimbursement of:
Mileage driven to and from their appointment
Bridge, road, and tunnel tolls
Parking Taxi and plane fares
Ticket costs for public transportation (includes train, subway, bus, ferry, or light rail)
Transportation by a specially equipped vehicle (like an ambulance or wheelchair van, when needed and approved)
Meals and lodging in some cases.
In some cases, the VA may reimburse you for the actual cost, up to 50% of the local government employee rate, for meals or lodging (you’ll need to provide all receipts).
Except in certain unusual cases, you can only get this reimbursement if approved BEFORE you travel. The VA won’t reimburse you for lodging or meals if you chose to stop or take a less direct route to a VA or VA-authorized health care facility.
General Health Care Travel
At least 1 of the following must be meet to get reimbursement for travel expenses:
Have a combined disability rating of 30% or higher;
Are traveling for treatment of a service-connected condition (even if your rating is less than 30%);
Receive a VA pension;
Have an income that’s below the maximum annual VA pension rate;
Are traveling for a scheduled VA claim exam (also called a compensation and pension or C&P exam); OR
Are traveling to get a Service dog.
Filing a claim
Be sure to submit your claim WITHIN 30 DAYS of your appointment. If you become eligible for travel reimbursement after your appointment, submit your claim within 30 days of when you become eligible.
To file a claim go to the AccessVA website.
Special Mode Transportation
Ambulance, ambulette, or wheelchair van.
Eligibility:
You’re eligible for general health care travel reimbursement;
A VA health care provider determines that your medical condition requires an ambulance or a specially equipped van for travel; AND
The VA has approved your travel in advance, unless the travel is for an emergency situation where a delay would threaten your life or health.
For non-emergency transportation:
BEFORE using non-emergency special transportation, be sure to contact your local travel office and get approval.
If the VA orders the service for your transport:
You don't need to file a claim.
If you order the transport and need to pay the cost:
You must submit a claim within 30 calendar days of the date of travel. You'll also need to include a copy of your paid invoice.
Filing a claim
Complete and submit VA Form 10-3532.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
For emergency transport to a VA facility, the VA SHOULD handle this for you automatically.
MyHealtheVet (Website)
MyHealththeVet is a very helpful website that you can use to do a number of things such as:
Secure Messaging
Communicate with your treatment team and other VHA departments about non-emergency issues.
Access Health Records (Blue Button Report)
View, print, or download your VA medical record.
This includes any C&P exam reports completed by the VA (but NOT examinations conducted by third-party contractors).
Appointments
View upcoming appointments
Schedule some appointments
Cancel upcoming appointments
Pharmacy
Refill your VA prescriptions
Track the delivery of your prescriptions
View a list of your Current/Expired VA prescriptions
Patient Rights
You have the right to:
Nondiscrimination and Respect
Accounting of disclosures (seeing when people access your medical records)
Alternative means of confidential communication
This right boils down to only being told things only in-person or by mail at a location that is not your permanent address.
File a complaint.
Opt out of Facility Directory (for those doing in-patient care)
Those who opt out will not receive mail.
Those who ask about the whereabouts of the Veteran will be given no information - UNLESS REQUIRED by law.
Request record amendments (IE corrections, deletions, additions, replacement)
You can submit WRITTEN communication to your VAs facility Privacy Officer or Chief of Health Information Management Service (HIMS), requesting the amendment with an explanation why. The person who made the record will be contacted and a decision will be made to make the amendment or not. If the request is DENIED you WILL BE notified and given instructions on how to appeal.
Request restriction of release of information
You can submit WRITTEN communication to your VAs facility Privacy Officer stating you do not want information sent to next of kin, family, or significant others involved in your care.
For more information on your rights click HERE.
Patient Advocate
Are you having issues with VA health care? Before you call the White House or your Congressperson, give your local VA a chance to address it. The VA Patient Advocate's job is to help resolve your issues.
Patient Advocates can help you:
If you feel you have been neglected, abused, or exploited;
If you want a new Primary Care Provider (PCP) or mental health PCP; and/or
If you feel like you are getting the runaround, or don't know who to ask about a problem.Note:
Your VAMC might not call it the "Patient Advocate" For example, the VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System calls it the "Veteran Experience Program”.
Frequently Asked Questions
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No. However, for the purposes of the Affordable Care Act it fulfills the coverage requirement.
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Speak with your patient advocate. If you don't have a good rapport with your PCP and feel that your health care would benefit from a different PCP, the Patient Advocate can guide you through that process. There is no uniform process across the VA for this, every VAMC has their own process. You will probably have to have at least one "get to know you" appointment with your new PCP before the change will be finalized.
NOTE:
You can only switch your Primary Care Provider once a year.
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No, there is no requirement to use the VHA to maintain benefits. The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) is almost completely separate from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), though they are both part of the US Department of Veterans Affairs.
Note:
This question comes up because SSDI recipients can have their benefits discontinued for failing to follow prescribed medical treatment. If someone tells you they heard your VA benefits can be terminated for not using the VHA they are probably confusing VBA benefits with Social Security benefits.