If you are an eligible American Indian/Alaska Native Veteran, effective Jan. 5, 2022, you no longer have to make copayments for health care and urgent care received through VA. You can also get reimbursed for copayments paid on or after Jan. 5, 2022.
So far, more than 4,000 Native Veterans have been approved for this exemption. Over 168,000 copayments totaling more than $3 million have been exempted and/or reimbursed.
We encourage you to apply and welcome the opportunity walk you through the process or answer any questions. You can call us at 1-800-MyVA411 (1-800-698-2411).
How to apply
You can apply for the copayment exemption by completing these three steps:
1. Make a copy of only one of the following official Tribal documents, including, but not limited to:
- Tribal Enrollment or Citizenship/Membership ID Card, or
- Certificate of Degree of Indian or Alaska Native Blood issued by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, or
- Documentation issued by a Tribe on official letterhead indicating individual affiliation.
2. Fill out VA Form 10-334 and make a copy. Find the form on the VA forms website.
3. Mail both documents to:
VHA Tribal Documentation
PO Box 5100
Janesville, WI 53547-5100
Office of Tribal Health available to provide outreach in your community
VA established the Office of Tribal Health in June 2022. The office is led by Dr. Christie Prairie Chicken and it regularly provides outreach around the nation, including Indian Country.
If you would like the Office of Tribal Health to provide outreach in your community and/or attend an event to help with copayment exemption applications, send an email to VHAOfficeofTribalHealth@va.gov.
You can learn more about the copayment exemption online.
Topics in this story
More Stories
Breakfast is essential for your body and your mind. Get your day set for success with a great Breakfast Burrito recipe in this week's #LiveWholeHealth video.
Patient Experience means care and service are delivered in an exceptional and consistent way.
VA will soon expand coverage for medical services, including mental health care, for family members and primary family caregivers participating in the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA).
I applied for this months ago but, I have never received verification of receipt. How do Native Americans know our CDIB, Tribal Membership, etc. didn’t get lost in the mail.
DA should be able to tell if you have a % and it should be enough!!
Discrimination!
I don’t see why the body of people, widely recognized as “Native Americans”, should receive any more or less than all veterans should receive; however, this body of people does not represent the first humans in/around The Americas. The original “Americans” had appearance of original habitants of Australia; Hawaii; Fiji; New Zealand and India. Historically speaking, Christopher Columbus is credited with identifying the native people he encountered as Indians (because those encountered had appearance of the majority peoples of India). Columbus never saw any of the North American people of his time period. It is an historical fact that all original peoples occupying lands around the earth, and South of 45-degrees latitude were like in appearance. This resulted in the territories: Indies; East Indies; West Indies, and also identified homelands of, perceived, mixed races; such as, Indo-China/ Indian-Chinese. The West Indies, i.e., The Americas, where, descendants of the true Native Americans still occupy ancestral homelands. Many of my people identify as African Americans. Yes, there is African blood in our veins, but for most of us, the African in us is an add-mix. We did not arrive in America as slaves, Africa came here to us. We are more of aboriginal India/Indian phenotype, the true natives of all the lands South of 45-degrees latitude, than we are Entering-Africans. This is meant to undo continued miseducation, set the records straight and to make, not only “African/Black Americans, but, all people aware that: Spain; Portugal; England; and other Europeans, upon gaining knowledge of the continents and islands around this world, raced across the seas to find those places, strip them of resources, enslave the people, eliminate all who resist, rename and repopulate through miscegenation or by emigration. Today, If we saw the original peoples of all those, GOD-Given-Lands, South of 45 or 33 degrees North Latitude, we would refer to them as Black not Red.
And so, reward the “Native Americans”/”First Nations” Peoples for ones Veteran Status, and not based upon equivocations labeled as the absolute history of these lands – The Americas – The West Indies.