How do I contact the VA for urgent care?
For help with urgent care eligibility and general questions, call MyVA411 (800-698-2411), select option 1, and then select option 1 again. NOTE: Urgent care providers and pharmacists can also use these numbers for assistance.
Who do I call for urgent care in the US?
In Region 4, 5 or 6 (AK, AS, AZ, CA, CO, GU, HI, ID, MP, MT, NM, NV, OR, TX, UT, WA, or WY), the provider will call 833-4VETNOW (833-483-8669). If you arrive at an urgent care located in Region 1, 2 or 3 and have issues, can call 888-901-6609 for assistance. In Region 4, 5 or 6, call 866-620-2071.
Can a veteran go to urgent care?
When a Veteran presents at an urgent care provider, you must check their eligibility for the urgent care benefit (this also activates their pharmacy benefit). If you need to contact a VA medical facility to obtain additional clinical information, please use the Emergency and Urgent Care Facility Contact List.
What to do if a veteran has a medical emergency?
If a Veteran believes his or her life or health is in danger, call 911 or report to the nearest emergency department right away. Veterans do not need to check with VA before calling for an ambulance or going to an emergency department. During a medical emergency, VA encourages all Veterans to seek immediate medical attention without delay.
Will the VA pay for outside treatment?
VA can pay for emergency medical care outside the United States if the emergency is related to your service-connected condition.
What does the VA mission Act do?
The MISSION Act sought to provide greater access to health care both in VA facilities and in the community, expand benefits for caregivers, and improve the VA's ability to recruit and retain the best medical providers.
Does VA require prior authorization?
VA is required by law to bill Third Party Payers (TPP) for care that is not related to a Veteran's service-connected disability or Special Authority. This requires VA to call TPPs for precertification for patients who are VHA beneficiaries with other billable health insurance (OHI).
How do you get treated at the VA?
Option 1: Apply by phone Call our toll-free hotline at 877-222-8387, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET to get help with your application.
Why do veterans not like the VA?
Of the veteran and active service members who reported to the annual Wounded Warrior Project Survey that they have never used VA health care services, the most common reasons given included preferring to use other health care coverage and too much trouble or red tape....CharacteristicPercentage of respondents--9 more rows•Mar 10, 2022
Can the VA refuse to treat a Veteran?
You can agree to or refuse any treatment. You will be told what is likely to happen to you if you refuse a treatment. Refusing a treatment will not affect your rights to future care but you take responsibility for the impact this decision may have on your health.
What is a VA consult?
A consult is a request for clinical services on behalf of a patient. In VHA, consult requests are made through an electronic document in CPRS communicating service requests and/or results.
What is standard episode of care?
The Care Coordination (CC) Standardized Episodes of Care (SEOC) is a reference database for managing care bundles for use by Veterans Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VistA) and other Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) systems.
What is the VA phone number?
(800) 698-2411United States Department of Veterans Affairs / Customer service
Do Veterans get free healthcare for life?
If you are a 50% or greater disabled veteran or a former POW, all your medical care from the VA is free. There are other groups that may get some, or all VA medical care for free, see our VA Copay page for details.
Who is eligible for care within the Veterans health Administration?
You may be eligible for VA health care benefits if you served in the active military, naval, or air service and didn't receive a dishonorable discharge.
Can VA fill prescriptions from non VA doctors?
VA cannot fill prescriptions that are written by private physicians. Will the VA pay for a prescription filled at a non-VA pharmacy? No. VA is not responsible for payment of outside physician's fees or medication.
What is VA urgent care?
Use VA’s urgent care benefit to treat minor injuries and illnesses that are not life-threatening, such as colds, strep throat, sprained muscles, and skin and ear infections.
What to do if your VA is not contracted?
If the provider is not part of the VA contracted network, Veterans have several options: Agree to pay the full cost of care and receive care immediately. Go to a different urgent care provider that is part of VA’s contracted network. Go to the nearest VA medical facility. Go to the nearest emergency department.
How to locate a VA pharmacy?
You must visit an in-network pharmacy location in the same state as your urgent care visit to avoid any issues filling your urgent care prescription.
Why should veterans seek a higher level of care?
This is because they may have symptoms related to a serious health condition that an urgent care provider may not be able to adequately address.
How long does the VA pay for urgent care?
VA can pay for a 14-day supply (no refills) of prescription medication for urgent care.
How long does it take for a prescription to be filled in the VA?
Prescriptions must be filled in the same state as the Veteran’s urgent care visit. For a 14-day supply or greater, or for routine, non-urgent medications, the prescription must be submitted to VA to be filled. Opiates are limited to seven days or less, consistent with state law covering the pharmacy’s location.
What are the two types of urgent care?
There are two types of urgent care network locations: Retail and Urgent.
What to do if a veteran is charged for emergency care?
If a Veteran is charged for emergency care received in the community and believes the charges should be covered by VA, they should contact the nearest VA medical facility as soon as possible. VA staff will assist the Veteran in understanding eligibility and in determining whether the bill received is appropriate.
What should a veteran do in a medical emergency?
During a medical emergency, Veterans should immediately seek care at the nearest medical facility. A medical emergency is an injury, illness or symptom so severe that without immediate treatment, you believe your life or health is in danger.
What is an emergency department?
IMPORTANT: An emergency department is a facility that is staffed and equipped to provide emergency treatment and does not include community facilities that only provide medical treatment in situations other than emergencies.
What happens when you receive emergency care from the VA?
If the Veteran meets the administrative eligibility criteria to receive emergency care in the community, the treatment documentation will then be reviewed by VA clinical staff to determine if the treatment received meets the clinical criteria necessary for VA to pay for the care.
How long does it take to notify VA of emergency care?
NOTE: Failure to notify VA within 72 hours will not automatically result in a denial of the emergency care claim; however, it will affect the eligibility criteria that must be met for the claim to be processed under separate payment authorities. (See the following eligibility requirements for 38 U.S.C. §1728
How long does a veteran have to be enrolled in VA care?
The Veteran is enrolled and has received care within a VA facility during the 24 months before the emergency care; AND. The Veteran is financially liable to the provider of emergency treatment. There are limitations on VA’s ability to provide coverage when a Veteran has other health insurance (OHI).
How long does it take for a VA to notify a veteran of a hospitalization?
Notification should be made within 72 hours of admission to a community medical facility. This allows VA to assist the Veteran in coordinating necessary care or transfer, and helps to ensure that the administrative and clinical requirements for VA to pay for the care are met.
What to do if a veteran is in danger?
If a Veteran believes his or her life or health is in danger, call 911 or report to the nearest emergency department right away.
Why do you need to notify the VA of an emergency?
The primary purpose of notifying VA of a Veteran in need of emergency treatment presenting to a community provider is to ensure proper care coordination. Notifying VA also allows covered Veterans to have their emergent treatment authorized by VA under Title 38 Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) §17.4020 (c).
How long does it take to notify the VA of an emergency?
It is, however, important to promptly notify VA within 72 hours of presenting to the emergency room. Veterans, their representatives, and in-network community providers should report instances of a Veteran presenting to a community emergency room to VA within 72 hours of the start of emergent care.
What is in network status VA?
In-Network Status: The treatment was rendered at a community emergency facility that is in VA’s community care or PC3 network.
How long does it take for VA to get notification of out of network?
If care was rendered in an in-network facility and notification was not received by VA within 72 hours, eligibility assessments will mirror those of an out-of-network facility (below).
What is a medical emergency?
A medical emergency is an injury, illness or symptom so severe that without immediate treatment, an individual believes his or her life or health is in danger. If a Veteran believes his or her life or health is in danger, call 911 or report to the nearest emergency department right away.
What is the purpose of VA documentation?
Medical documentation is also an important component to assessing the patient’s condition and making determinations related to care coordination and eligibility. During the care coordination process, the local VA medical center will communicate with the community provider about information needed to support the coordination. There are multiple methods by which community providers may electronically provide the referring VA with the required medical documentation for care coordination purposes:
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Call us
You can call us at one of these phone numbers to ask questions about VA benefits and services.
Contact your local VA facility
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Explore our FAQs and other resources
Our FAQs, step-by-step guides, and other resources can help answer specific questions you may have about these topics:
Helpful online tools
Find out how to change your address and other contact information in your VA.gov profile. This will update your information across several VA benefits and services.
How to contact the VA about travel reimbursement?
You can call the VA at 866-606-8198, or contact your regular VA medical office to determine your eligibility. If you are otherwise eligible for travel reimbursement, the VA will also pay your one-way travel to the urgent care center.
When does the VA Choice program start?
The program, effective June 6, 2019, is part of the Department of Veterans Affairs ' Mission Act. This new program allows veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system and who have visited a VA doctor, or a civilian doctor under the VA Choice program, to see an urgent care doctor for free under certain circumstances.
What is the mission act for VA?
The VA Mission Act allows some veterans to see private-care options outside the VA. Getty Images. A new VA urgent care program will let veterans enrolled in the VA health care system visit a civilian urgent care provider for free without an appointment. The program, effective June 6, 2019, is part of the Department of Veterans Affairs ' Mission Act.
Does the VA share medical records?
The VA will share your medical records with the urgent care provider as necessary to make sure there are no drug interactions, underlying medical conditions or "doctor shopping" for painkillers that civilian doctors should know about.
Does a flu shot count as a follow up visit?
Urgent care visits for flu shots don't count toward the three-visit limit. However, follow-up visits to the same urgent care provider do count against your three-visit limit. The VA says that you should visit your normal VA provider for any follow-ups.
Does the VA cover sprains?
The VA says that most types of urgent care are covered under this program, including sprains, fever and cough due to cold. You should still go to the emergency room for things like broken bones or chainsaw accidents .
Who to talk to at VA?
If you need help getting care or getting your problems resolved, talk to the Patient Advocate at your VA Medical Center. We want to provide you with world-class veteran customer service and this is just one important way in which we do that!
What to do if you don't agree with your provider?
Should this occur, discuss your concerns with your provider. If you still have concerns, ask to speak with your provider's supervisor or the Chief of the Service. If your concern is still unresolved, please contact the Patient Advocate who can assist you, if appropriate, in filing an appeal for a review of your concern.
What does VA mean?
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) wants to make sure you get the best care possible. Every employee at VA, especially your treatment team, wants to be involved in providing the best care possible. If you have a compliment, suggestion or concern regarding your care, first speak with your treatment team.
What is patient advocacy?
The Patient Advocacy Program is for all veterans and their families who receive care at Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities and clinics. We want to be sure you have someone to go to with your concerns in a timely manner and to help you receive care.
How to contact VA urgent care?
The number and instructions in the VA Urgent Care Benefit propaganda (Call 1-833-4VETNOW (1-833-483-8669) to verify if the Veteran is eligible for urgent care services and to ensure your timely payment of claims) does not work.
What to do if a veteran is injured?
If a Veteran is experiencing a life-threatening injury, dial 911 immediately. Emergency department visits are necessary for true emergencies. If greater care is required, VA health care physicians will transfer Veterans directly to a hospital emergency room for further treatment.
What is the mission act of VA?
As part of implementing the VA MISSION Act of 2018, VA started offering urgent care services to provide Veterans with greater choice and access to timely, high-quality care. To find an urgent care center, visit VA Urgent Care Locator.
What is an urgent care center?
Urgent care centers, whether at a VA Health Care System or one located in a community, provide easy access to quality health care when a Veteran does not have time to wait to see a regular primary care provider or their office is closed.
What are some examples of emergency medical care?
Some examples of conditions that need emergency medical care can include: Heart attack symptoms (severe chest pain) Stroke symptoms. Moderate to severe difficulty breathing. Uncontrollable bleeding.
Does the VA cover urgent care?
There are certain requirements and limitations, however, yes…the VA will cover the cost of the Urgent Care as long it is VA “network” facility (just call the department of veterans affairs and they will let you know what facilities in your area you can go to).
Is an urgent care center a good idea?
However, being closed for 12 out of every 24 hours doesn’t really provide much help when everything else would be closed anyway. You’re still stuck having to use an emergency room at a local hospital which may not be familiar with billing the VA. Leaving the Veteran stuck with an enorm ous medical be they may not be able to afford to pay.