VA Choice Program for Active Military and Veterans

Many Veterans now have the option to receive non-VA health care rather than waiting for a VA appointment or traveling to a VA facility.

The new Choice Program, which began November 5, 2014, will cover non-VA care for eligible Veterans enrolled in VA healthcare.

Veterans are eligible if any of these situations apply to you:

• You have been told by your local VA medical facility that you will need to wait more than 30 days from your preferred date or the date medically determined by your physician
• Your current residence is more than 40 miles from the closest VA health care facility
• You need to travel by plane or boat to the VA medical facility closest to your home
• You face an unusual or excessive burden in traveling to a VA medical facility based on the presence of a body of water (including moving water and still water) or a geologic formation that cannot be crossed by road

Every Veteran should have receive a letter and a Choice Card in the mail with details about the program.

Veterans will be eligible for the program and receive cards in three phases:
• Veterans who may live more than 40 miles from a VA facility.
• Veterans who are currently waiting for an appointment longer than 30 days from their preferred date or the date determined to be medically necessary by their physician.
• All remaining Veterans enrolled for VA healthcare who may be eligible for the Choice Program in the future.

To set up an appointment with a non-VA provider, call the VA at 866-606-8198 and we will work with you to ensure you are approved for care in your community.

How to Get Started & Additional Program Information

• The Choice Program does not impact your existing VA health care or any other VA benefit.
• If you are satisfied with your wait time at a VA facility and wish to continue waiting for VA care, there is nothing you need to do at this time.
• Non-VA care is only covered by VA for medical needs which have been approved by your VA physician. We can happily schedule an appointment for other medical needs, but we can only cover the cost of care related to your VA-approved health needs.
• The Veteran Choice Program is part of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (VACAA).

** The aforementioned information was put forward by the VA. As a VA program all approvals are handled solely by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Choice Cancer Care cannot help with approval and is not involved in the decision-making process.