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). Starting at the end of May, these beneficiaries will have new coverage for audio-only telehealth, extended mental health care and contraceptive services.
“Our mission is to provide world-class care to our nation’s heroes, which includes care provided through CHAMPVA to eligible family members and caregivers of Veterans,” said VA Under Secretary for Health Shereef Elnahal. “The extension of these additional services is part of VA’s continuing efforts to ensure CHAMPVA beneficiaries can access high value care where they need it, when they need it.”
Here’s what this means for CHAMPVA beneficiaries:
- Access to audio-only telehealth. With audio-only telehealth coverage, beneficiaries will have expanded access to care, which is particularly important for rural beneficiaries. The coverage will also be retroactive; providers and beneficiaries who received audio-only telehealth services on or after May 12, 2020, will have until Nov. 26, 2024, to file claims for reimbursement of covered care.
- Elimination of caps on visits for mental health and substance use visits. CHAMPVA beneficiaries will no longer be limited in the number of visits for mental health and substance abuse services. Additionally, beneficiaries and providers will no longer need pre-authorizations for outpatient mental health visits in excess of 23 visits per calendar year and/or for more than two sessions per week.
- Eliminating deductibles and cost sharing for certain necessary contraceptive services. VA is also eliminating deductibles and cost sharing for contraceptive services or contraceptive products approved, cleared or granted by the Food and Drug Administration.
Currently, there are more than 737,500 CHAMPVA beneficiaries. CHAMPVA is a health care program for certain spouses, surviving spouses, children and primary family caregivers of eligible Veterans. Through CHAMPVA, VA shares the cost of medically necessary health care services and supplies with eligible beneficiaries. This includes mental health services, inpatient and outpatient services, prescription medications, transplants, ambulatory surgery, family planning and maternity care, and more.
To learn more and apply for CHAMPVA care today, visit our CHAMPVA website.
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I’d like to know what benefits, my wife will get, after I’m gone.
If your death certificate contains any condition as a cause of death that you are rated for, she should apply for DIC after your death. If one of those conditions are not listed, she will not receive anything. The exception is that if you have been rated at 100% P&T for the 10 years previous to your death, the conditions don’t matter. She can apply for DIC no matter what is listed on your death certificate.
What do CHAMPVA cover as it relates to dental care?
I am a Veteran and I think that a good thing for our family members especially our wives. I am still hopeful that the wives of Veterans will one day have the same opportunity as the Veterans to have the same medical care as the Veteran .
Does this mean that my wife can be seen by a VA doctor at CBOC …
No. Dependents are not seen at VA facilities in most cases. A few outlying CBOCs are eligible see them if they do not have enough veterans utilizing the facility and have dead time in the schedule. Those are not common.
I am a service-disabled American veteran who served during the Vietnam and Cold War era’s from 1974-1980, all in foreign active duty service with Headquarters, 1st Infantry Division Forward’s general staff, working my way up from a clerk to a special operations reconnaissance specialist, an intelligence analyst, and finally the acting deputy chief of staff for military intelligence and security by the VOCG, invested into the Army’s Intelligence Corps with a secret/NATO secret security clearance with SBI credentials to completion of my active-duty service with an enlisted E-4 paygrade of $409 a month and Specialist Fourth Class rank. At my end of service I received an Honorable Discharge, a national defense service medal, an Army good conduct metal, a Cold War service medal, 1 military intelligence corps badge, and 3 Reconnaissance for Germany (REFORGER) badges with 3 commanding general letters of accommodation.
During my post-military civilian workforce years I attended Miami-Dade Community College and was conferred my Associate in Arts degree in Social Work, then I was appointed to work at the pleasure of Dr. Robert McCabe, President of Miami-Dade Community College District, consisting of five campuses and 1 school of medical sciences, to manage the school’s federal comprehensive employment and training program (CETA) grant and to supervise 112 CETA college employees until congress defunded the program. I transferred to the Florida Department of Health and Social Services (HRS) as the assistant manager in network 4 of district 18 to HRS, where I assisted the network manager in performing all aspects of state social services for approximately a 500,000 client casework load for those residing in South Miami-Dade County, FL. I landed another public servant job with the Dade County School District working at the pleasure of the principal of Robert Morgan Vocational Technical Institute as his coordinator of vocational education and the VA’s liaison to veteran-student certification official. Finally; I was appointed by the Judicial Branch of Government to serve as a Federal Grand Jury Foreman and US Constitutional Officer for an 18 month appointment. During my final month of service I applied for VA S/C Compensation due to serious M.I./Spec. Ops. Post-Tramatic Stress Disorder and was granted a 70% rating. Later on in 2015, I was granted an increase to 100% S/C compensation with regular aid & attendance and 10% S/C for Tinnitus, classifying me as a service-disabled American veteran (DAV) and granted special-monthly compensation (SMC) R payment schedule.
My domestic partner and I tied the knot in May and became my VA Spouse/Dependent Caregiver.
About a year or so ago, he fell ill and needed medical attention and he is covered by CHAMPVA. We learned he would be covered 100% at a VA medical facility. We live in rural, eastern Central Florida and discovered that the closest VA Medical facility accepting CHAMPVA patients was the Miami VA Hospital, a 273 mile one-way trip or 556 mile round trip ride for a CHAMPVA patient to receive 100% covered in-house VA Medical Care, and CHAMPVA patients DO NOT get any type of VA Travel reimbursement whatsoever!
How could a grateful Nation not be ashamed of their below-poverty level and disgraceful care of our Warrior’s spouses and their dependent children’s medical and dental care. Abraham Lincoln would never stop rolling in his grave if he knew this to be true! But it is~disgusting!!!
The fact that your spouse gets medical care is exceptional! I, too, am a spouse of a 100% rated veteran, but I feel that although I was married to him the entire time of his service, I did not sign the contract for service like he did. The VA is extremely generous for giving me the care I receive and I would never be ungrateful for that and demand more. You should be ashamed!
Thankyou for your reach-out, what actions are required from us to move forward ?
What about dental coverage?
The VA doesn’t have enough healthcare and mental health staff now to take proper care of us the Veterans, and now this Under Sec of health just made the system even more complicated to get care. Why is he doing this?? He can’t even supply proper qualified care for us, the Veteran, appointment times are months off as it is now. This will only cause the phone lines more backlogging, of but wait, he does get to hire more people that have no clue what their job is. This under Sec needs FIRED!!!!!!
You could have dementia and forget where you put things, like the phone. Maybe you need to put some hearing device in your ears and wait for them to answer your call. You are no better than the people who called before you. You need to CHILL.
There are many of us veterans waiting. Maybe you could text a message for your meds or order online, like I do. It’s there for you too! Chances are, your Mommy & Daddy aren’t around to help you so quit complaining and wait your turn.
Agreed. The VA is cutting healthcare to Veterans and increasing it for family members and caregivers doesn’t make sense. It’s admirable to provide for families and caregivers, but the VA mission is for veterans first and the VA can’t even handle that. I went to the ER Monday and have been at home since unable to walk. No followup from primary care after the ER visit as in times past. I had someone come and remove my livestock from my farm because I can’t take care of them now. I contacted my primary care and was told to expect a call to schedule an appointment. I’m still waiting and the weekend is about to begin. I don’t have a family member or caregiver to help, so I’m kind of stuck wondering what to do when the cereal runs out. In 2022 the VA started restricting community care to save money. That leaves many of us with no care by the 3rd quarter of the year and months to go before the VA renews our community care approval for the next year. And, the community care costs less than the alternative care the VA provides when community care appointments run out! On top of that, it is easy to see wasteful spending in the VA hospital which funds could have been used for healthcare. Hmm, makes one wonder if the VA knows it’s mission any more.
[Editor: VA is not “cutting healthcare to Veterans.”]
Lots of life’s problems seem to come at the most inopportune times. I have been in the hospital twice this year (so far). The VA picked up the tab 100% for that (Billed out well over $50K on the first trip). After I got home, I immediately contacted my VA PACT team, and they went into overdrive to help. I always say that the squeaky wheel gets the grease and you can tell that I squeak a lot if you look at my secure email on My HealtheVet.
I have no idea how the VA homecare system works, but I do know that the VA and Medicare provide help. There is worse out there, though, and under the ChampVA system, there are limitations like every other insurer. For people stuck in poverty (been there), there are also other places that can help, like Catholic Charities, Veteran organizations, and city/county governments.
ChampVA picked up the bill for my diagnosis and medications when I was diagnosed with ALS. That was hundreds of thousands of $$. I am grateful!!
This will not affect your care. Dependents are not treated at a VA facility in most cases. We see civilian doctors and claims are filed with ChampVA like private insurance.
I have been apart of the ChampVA system for many years. I really appreciate the medical help they have given me. I would like to see the coverage extended to cover vision, hearing and dental. For me these have been very expensive to cover.
If I have Medicare A/B /humana PPO and the VA am I still able to apply for champva please let me know.
If you have VA health care no
ChampVA is for the families of Veterans who have 100% Permanent and Total disability. I am a Vet, and my wife is also. We are both 100% P&T, and we qualify under each other’s ratings. With Medicare, you must have parts A/B to keep ChampVA. It takes the secondary payer position behind Medicare, and you can use it with the Advantage Plan (part C). With ChampVA’s meds by mail, you do not need Part D.
I am 100% disabled. In November 2022 I requested CHAMPVA for my wife (Meds by Mail)
She was declared ineligible because she had “Other Health Insurance “
She receives military compensation on my behalf .
Will she be elegible under the New rules?
If you are 100% P&T then she is eligible for CHAMPVA. CHAMPVA would pay for cost outside her primary insurance, deductibles, out of pocket expenses etc
What does P&T stand for?
OHI would be her primary champva would be secondary.
If primary is Medicare she would still be eligible for meds by mail
Champva would also pay secondary to Medicare
I am the care giver for my 100% disabled husband ! I have medical insurance now but with out “hearing or vision! Will this be something that would benefit me? Good to know about survivors benefits Thank you the VA has been taking exceptional care of my husband & we are truly thankful
You need to talk to your local vso
This is a Excellent addition to CHAMPVA,my Wife has these benefits & to all of my Brother Vets (If you are not familiar with benefits from CHAMPVA) get with a VSO(Veteran Service Officer) they have a wealth of knowledge about all of the benefits you or your spouse may be entitled to, or go to VA.GOV (read about these Benefits)..Thanks VA for all that you do (Disabled Veteran)
Very interesting. Does this mean that my wife and caregiver will be eligible to se a va doctor for medical care as I do?
No. If you are rated through the VA as 100% P&T, she should apply for ChampVA. She will still see civilian doctors, but ChampVA will pay for covered services like insurance with no premiums. If she has no outside insurance, I believe they pay 75%. If she does, they are secondary payer.
I am the daughter of a Korean War Veteran who had a service-connected disability and I never received health care benefits from the VA. What the VA should offer Veterans and their families is Medical Error Support Groups and Mental Health Services at every VA Medical Center.
My father died from an overdose of Heparin that caused bleeding in his brain until he died four days later on July 21, 1998. The VA never told me what happened, and never compensated his family for my father’s death. Almost 26 years later, and I’m still looking for answers and closure. I’m sure other family members of Veterans feel the same way I do. This is why the VA should offer Support Groups to let family members know the VA does care about the medical care Veterans receive even when mistakes happen.
This is all well and good, Has the VA dropped the monetary requirement for veterans to be see at the VA.
currently my wife, (8 yrs Navy vet cannot been seen at a VA facility because she makes $600 in SSI benefits.
I have never in my 34 yrs being married to a vet and I have never heard that. I have other close family member vets. Care has nothing to do with income.
Income does matter if the vet doesn’t meet any of the other eligibility factors for VA care. Not every veteran qualifies for VA healthcare
Does your wife have any disabilities that are (should be) service-connected? If so, you may need to pursue that route instead. That way, if she does get a VA disability rating, she can then get VA healthcare without the income requirement (how much healthcare exactly would be based on her rating)
I am 100 per cent disabled. I have a daughter caring for me. Is there Champa available for her?
Adult children are not entitled to care unless they became disabled before the age of 18. However, you can apply for the Caregiver program and appoint her as caregiver. If approved, she will receive compensation for that.
Bottom line is always saying: “and for Veteran families that qualify”.
Nothing is ever said about how to get them qualified. What the family members to do to use the the benefit’s. Like what ID will the Family Members (that qualify) need?, to use the PX, exchange, Champ, pharmacy . . . where family members go to get the ID?, to use at the PX, Exchange, Champ, Medications etc . . .
The veteran has to be rated 100% permanent and total (P&T) service connected disabled in order for a spouse to receive ChampVa and dependent ID cards.
The info. about CHMPVA is of a great value, because many vet like me did not know this benefits for survival wifes.. Thanks.
CHAMPVA is for spouses of Veterans with 100% rating and it’s not given automatically. You have to contact CHAMPVA and submit an application with copy of your compensation award. Nothing comes to us without us applying and or inquiring.