Editor’s note: This number is no longer applicable. If you want to reach VA, please call 1-800-MyVA411.
When VA Secretary Bob McDonald first started evaluating business and customer service practices across VA to improve the Veteran experience, the need for a revamped phone system was clear. Instead of navigating dozens of automated phone trees with no guarantee of success, Veterans needed one place to call to get connected to the right place quickly
VA is introducing 1-844-MyVA311 (1-844-698-2311) as a go-to source for Veterans and their families who don’t know what number to call. This new national toll-free number will help eliminate the feeling of frustration and confusion that Veterans and their families have expressed when navigating the 1000-plus phone numbers that currently exist.
With 1-844-MyVA311, Veterans, families, and caregivers can access information about VA services like disability, pension, healthcare eligibility, enrollment, and burial benefits, in addition to a self-service locator to find the nearest VA facility. And if they’re looking for immediate assistance with housing or are having a mental health crisis, MyVA311 will route callers to the Homeless Veteran help line and the Veterans Crisis Line.
If you know what number you’re calling – keep calling it. None of the existing VA numbers will go away. The future vision is that 1-844-MyVA311 will become a 24/7 one-stop information service platform for all VA services.
Veteran feedback has been instrumental helping us streamline the way we get callers routed to the right place at VA. VA is also making improvements to the overall Veteran experience eliminating blocked calls and hiring more people to reduce wait times. We will continue to gather feedback from our Veterans to ensure VA is meeting their needs.
The new MyVA311 phone number is just one step in a larger effort to modernize VA contact centers so Veterans have a seamless, positive experience when reaching out VA. In the coming months, we will be sharing more on additional steps as we continue to improve the Veterans experience.
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More bureaucracy; just what we need. My family and I seperated from active duty (100% service connected; long career), and had a date when our TriCare would cease. We attempted to have CHAMP-VA kick in the day TriCare would expire. Received notification back that I/we could not sign up for CHAMP-VA as I was eligible for TriCare. Exactly the point I was explaining but they can’t listen; I was trying to sign up the exact day TriCare was no longer valid for me. Waited and waited; finally was told they needed a letter from TriCare. Lady, I’m not in the Army anymore and my TriCare has expired. Sent them the letter from TriCare (which in itself was a chore, as my CAC was no longer valid…because I was no longer active duty); was then told it will take months for CHAMP-VA to kick in, if then…which is specifically the problem I was trying to prevent and had explained to these so-called “public servants.”
So here we are without medical coverage for my family, awaiting the same bureaucratic system who don’t answer telephones, don’t return calls, don’t send out letters often, and clearly don’t read blogs. Plenty of effort though to show the masses how great everything is working and to appease Congress, but little real, tangible improvement.
I’m not sure I believe this. I’m a veteran and I live in Michian.
I found out I needed major surgery on my left clodid Artery. They say there’s a program for Veterans to recieve outside Facilties for free choice of Medical procedures if to live more than 40 miles from VA facility. What I found out is although I live more than 40 miles from Ann Arbor VA, they said because I live only about 25 miles , Flint Michigan VA clinic I was not authorized I have my surgery done at another Hospital cliser to me and VA accept it. Problem is the clinic in Flint only has Doctors That refer you to Ann Arbor VA. No major surgeries avaiable at all. BS.
Interesting; I too am a veteran who has had extreme concerns with the bureaucracy. What in the heck would we need YET ANOTHER number to call with nobody to speak to? And certainly no one who can actually provide any direction or assistance? This is complete irresponsibility! Seems the original poster who spot on. Has anyone from the VA even read this blog???
Just tried the number again; with no luck, I then called VA Inspector General. The lady who answered (Jane) told me “there’s nothing (she) can do” – not her job. Also would not allow me to speak to her supervisor. The bureaucrats can’t give you THEIR full name or Social Security NUmber, but they have all the info on you…except with all the info, still there’s apparently nothing they can do. Yes, I am extremely frustrated and tired of rudeness and diversion to yet another telephone number. She did say I could call my congressman, though. That is NOT customer service.
I am now on the phone this exact moment…on hold for 40 minutes. Sincerely, no disrespect intended but I wonder if Secretary Bob McDonald has attempted to actually test the systems in place. Less “nice to hear” stories and more actual performance. We shouldn’t be emphasizing the reporting of measures of performance; let’s measure effectiveness instead. The Public Relations resources expended would be better spent actually succeeding at task mission. I guess failure with metrics and reporting is better than mission success without.
This seems a rant but I am trying to get someone in authority to actually hear; not solve one issue (which is merely a symptom of the ineptitude) but actually solve the sytemic failures.
The article is really wonderful
I just called the number; there is no human. It is another waste of resources meant to look as if a problem is being solved yet no actual results. It is just yet another telephone tree prompt list; it just disconnects after giving you yet another 1-800 number to call.
Ridiculuous government inefficiency and bureaucracy; I am sure a tremendous amount of money was spent on this, yet not a single honest person actually checked to see if it works. Amazingly unethical.
I think this is a wonderful idea but the only thing I don’t see is how to follow up on our claims with the VA can someone please explain to me why that is not important to the Va. I have waited eight and a half years to hear about my claim of post-traumatic stress. I hope president elect Donald Trump can help us out on this. mr. Trump if you want to do something please help me find out where my claim is no one will let me know. thank you Michael Butler Army veteran
I am less than confidant this new number will actually have a human that can get you in touch with an actual human being that either can or will make a decision; my speculation is that, on the other end of 1-844-698-2311 will be someone who will then press a button to put you in the right department, which will not answer or will not respond.
The folks who run this show should just once sit down and work through the system with no help and no insider track. Try to navigate to a successful conclusion in any semblance of a reasonable timeline.
We need to empower people to actually think, to lead, and to make decisions; blind adherence to a bureaucracy is neither thinking nor leadership.