Starting Oct. 1, 2025, VA will update its billing practices for Whole Health well-being services to ensure consistency with federal law. Veterans in Priority Groups 6, 7 and 8, who are already responsible for outpatient copayments, will now pay a $15 copayment for Whole Health well-being services billed under Stop Code 139.

This change applies only to Veterans who are already subject to outpatient copayments. Veterans exempt from copayments—such as those with service-connected conditions rated 50% or higher, those receiving care for a service-connected condition, or those meeting other statutory exemptions—will not be affected.

What is changing?

  • Whole Health well-being services, including guided imagery, meditation, yoga for well-being, tai chi/qigong and health coaching, will carry a $15 copayment.
  • The change is being applied uniformly across VA facilities to ensure compliance with federal regulations.

What is not changing?

  • Whole Health services are not being reduced or eliminated.
  • Veterans exempt from copayments remain exempt.
  • Complementary and Integrative Health treatments, such as acupuncture and clinical hypnosis, continue under existing billing practices.

Why is VA making this change?

Since 2017, Whole Health well-being services have been set as non-billable. A proposed regulation to exempt them was published in January 2025 but later withdrawn. VA is now updating its billing practices to align with statutory requirements.

Where can I get more information?

Veterans with questions or concerns should contact their local VA Medical Center’s Patient Advocate or a finance representative who can explain how the change applies and review eligibility for copayment exemptions.

Topics in this story

Leave a comment

The comments section is for opinions and feedback on this particular article; this is not a customer support channel. If you are looking for assistance, please visit Ask VA or call 1-800-698-2411. Please, never put personally identifiable information (SSAN, address, phone number, etc.) or protected health information into the form — it will be deleted for your protection.

11 Comments

  1. VINCENT D MANCUSI November 30, 2025 at 16:48 - Reply

    Still waiting to get an appointment to get whole health I know it’s been full of people so I guess you have to wait online until there’s an opening but keep trying and I’ll hopefully get a time to see all this. Thank you.

  2. Pebo November 18, 2025 at 23:31 - Reply

    I was whole till the army got a hold of me

  3. Rayven November 16, 2025 at 20:34 - Reply

    How is this actually making the VA better for Veterans??

  4. Robert Funke November 15, 2025 at 22:05 - Reply

    I’m covered under the 50% plus, but if the Top Dogs at the VA wish to keep Veterans healthy, there should be no copay.
    We who served earned this; the pittance ($15) would mean $60 if a Veteran goes once a week. Many of us simply can’t afford that, and without Whole Health, there is a possibility that any problem might become worse, not to mention the social aspects of being with other Vets being denied, which is a part of Whole Health.

  5. Darrin Johnson November 15, 2025 at 12:59 - Reply

    Free for all veterans.

  6. Edward V Major November 15, 2025 at 09:31 - Reply

    I feel that NO Veteran of a “Foreign” war shoud have any co-pay. Reason being there continues to be found health injuries from things some not previously known, but found out later.

  7. Lidia Quincy November 15, 2025 at 09:28 - Reply

    Does this apply to the survivor of a 100% ? disabled veteran? We were married for 44 years.
    Sincerely
    Lidia Quincy

  8. Paula November 15, 2025 at 08:59 - Reply

    This is not fair or right. The Veterans served our country. It is the responsibility for our taxpayers money to
    Help them. This is an example of this government’s mishandling taxpayers money.. Time to stop payments big tax cuts to corporations, billionaires, other countries, war plans, golf trips. And so much more. Leave the Veterans care alone President Bone Spur.

  9. Delphis Kaczowski November 15, 2025 at 02:27 - Reply

    I don’t want to pay for anything “medical” that is useless in keeping me healthy & that I cannot physically do. If the 15 bucks was for the NEW “Xander” close captioning eyeglasses for hard of hearing /deaf Vets like me, then OKAY.

  10. Paul Wilson November 14, 2025 at 16:45 - Reply

    No co pay for any veterans

  11. Henry French November 14, 2025 at 16:16 - Reply

    What is whole health?

Leave A Comment

More Stories