Community Care

If you have difficulty receiving care or filling your urgent care prescription, call the appropriate phone number below for the region where you are located.

To be eligible for urgent care, Veterans must:

• Be enrolled in the VA health care system AND
• Have received care through VA from either a VA or community provider within the past 24 months

To check eligibility, contact your local VA medical facility OR call 800-MyVA411 (800-698-2411), select option 1, then option 3, and then option 1 again.

The urgent care benefit covers services provided by urgent care centers and walk-in retail health clinics such as:

• Colds, minor injuries, skin and ear infections, pink eye, strep throat, and more.
• Diagnostic services like X-rays, some lab testing and some medications (with limitations).
• Therapeutic vaccines when these are required for the treatment of certain covered conditions.

IMPORTANT: Urgent Care is Not a Replacement for Preventive or Emergency Care

Veterans should work with their primary care provider for this type of care. While urgent care is a convenient benefit for nonemergent symptoms, Veterans should always consider talking with or seeing their primary care provider if they are concerned the urgent care location will not understand the complexities of their medical history or medications.

Veterans should remember the following when considering urgent care:

• When in doubt about your health condition or symptoms, Veterans should always seek a higher level of care, such as care from an emergency department. This is because they may have symptoms related to a serious health condition that an urgent care provider may not be able to adequately address.
• If Veterans have a medical emergency, they should immediately seek care at the nearest emergency room. A medical emergency is an injury, illness, or symptom so severe that a prudent layperson reasonably believes that delay in seeking immediate medical attention would be hazardous to life or health.
• If you believe your life or health is in danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department immediately.

Differences Between Urgent and Emergency Care

Flu Shots

Veterans enrolled in VA health care can receive a stand-alone, no-cost flu shot at more than 70,000 sites of care in the community through in-network retail care pharmacies and in-network urgent care locations. No appointment is required. Visit National Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (NCP) Flu Shot page for more information about VA flu shots.

• Veterans should present a government-issued ID to receive a no-cost flu shot (i.e., Veterans Health ID Card, Department of Defense retiree ID card, state-issued driver's license or ID card, etc.).
• VA will pay for standard-dose (quadrivalent) and high-dose flu shots.
• Eligible Veterans whose visit to an in-network urgent care location or retail pharmacy that consists of only a flu shot do not incur a copayment.
• Flu shot-only visits to in-network urgent care locations or retail pharmacies do not count toward the first three visits per calendar year that determines copayment rates based upon the number of visits and the Veteran's priority group.

More Information

To find an in-network urgent care provider, contact your local VA medical facility or use the VA Facility Locator.

Types of Urgent Care Locations

There are two types of urgent care in-network locations: Retail and Urgent.

• Retail locations include a walk-in health clinic (other than an office), urgent care facility, pharmacy, or independent clinic located within a retail operation. Reasons why Veterans would seek care at a retail location include treatment of an uncomplicated illness such as a sore throat or earache.
• Urgent locations include an office or a clinic whose purpose is to diagnose and treat illness or injury for unscheduled, ambulatory patients seeking immediate medical attention (aside from emergency rooms). Reasons why Veterans would seek care at an urgent location include treatment of more pressing illnesses or injuries that are not life-threatening like splinting, casting, lacerations, or wound treatment.

Bring a valid, government-issued photo ID to the in-network urgent care location/pharmacy.

When arriving at an in-network urgent care provider:

• Inform the provider you would like to use your VA urgent care benefit to receive care.
  NOTE: The urgent care provider will confirm your eligibility.
• Ask and verify the urgent care provider is part of the VA contracted network. The urgent care provider may have a sign posted that indicates they are part of VA’s contracted network.
• DO NOT pay a copayment at the time of urgent care visit.

If, upon arrival, you have difficulty receiving care or filling your urgent care prescription, call the appropriate phone number below for the region in which you are located.

CCN national map | Region 1 map | Region 2 map | Region 3 map | Region 4 map | Region 5 map

If the provider is not part of the VA contracted network, Veterans have several options:

• Agree to pay the full cost of care and receive care immediately
• Go to a different urgent care provider that is part of VA’s contracted network
• Go to the nearest VA medical facility
• Go to the nearest emergency department

Pharmacy Limitations and Requirements

• VA can pay for a 14-day supply (no refills) of prescription medication for urgent care.
• All prescriptions must be listed on the VA Urgent/Emergent Formulary.
• Prescriptions must be filled in the same CCN region as the Veteran’s urgent care visit.
• Prescriptions can be filled at an in-network pharmacy, at VA or at a non-network pharmacy.
  • If a non-network pharmacy is used, Veterans must pay for the prescription and then file a claim for reimbursement with their local VA medical facility.
• For a supply greater than 14 days or for routine, non-urgent medications, the prescription must be submitted to VA pharmacy to be filled.
• Opiates are limited to seven days or less, consistent with state law covering the pharmacy’s location.
• Some Veterans may be required to pay a VA copayment after the urgent care visit for prescription medication, which is billed separately by VA.

Requesting Urgent Care Pharmacy Reimbursement

Veterans can submit urgent care pharmacy reimbursement if they received a valid prescription from an urgent care visit and paid out of pocket for the medication. To seek urgent care pharmacy reimbursement, the Veteran should:

• Send the reimbursement request to the Veteran's local VA medical facility Community Care office. Veterans can use the VA Facility Locator to find the closest VA medical facility. For claims filing details, visit File a Claim-Information for Veterans.
  

  VA Facility Locator

  File a Claim-Information for Veterans
• Claims for pharmacy reimbursement must be accompanied by the following:
  • A signed written request for reimbursement explaining why the prescription(s) was obtained from a non-CCN pharmacy instead of a CCN-participating pharmacy or a VA medical facility pharmacy. You may use VA Form 10-583, Claim for Payment of Cost of Unauthorized Medical Services.
    Please note: The provider's signature is required on VA Form 10-583.
    

    VA Form 10-583, Claim for Payment of Cost of Unauthorized Medical Services

  • A valid receipt showing the amount paid for the prescription.
  • The prescription information, including:
    
    
    • Name of the medication
    • Medication dosage/strength
    • The quantity dispensed
    • Prescribing provider's name
    • Date the medication was dispensed
    • Pharmacy name and location
• Approval of the reimbursement will be dependent upon clinical and administrative eligibility.
• To check the status of a claim, Veterans may call 877-881-7618 (8 a.m. - 8 p.m. ET).

Find an in-network pharmacy

VA Facility Locator
You must visit an in-network pharmacy location in the same state as your urgent care visit to avoid any issues filling your urgent care prescription.

Call 877-881-7618 (8 a.m.–8 p.m. ET) for telephone assistance finding a pharmacy to fill your urgent care prescription.

For care referred to a community provider by VA, please consult the authorization received from VA for instructions on how to find a participating pharmacy.

Veterans may be charged a copayment for urgent care that is different from other VA medical copayments.

• Copayments depend on the Veteran’s assigned priority group and the number of times an urgent care provider is visited in a calendar year.
• Copayment charges are billed separately by VA as part of VA’s billing process. There is no limit to the number of times a Veteran can go to an urgent care provider.

Learn more about VA copayments

Individual health conditions are complex and unique to each Veteran. As a result, and to encourage Veterans to seek care when they need it, VA does not publish a specific list of covered services. Preventive care and dental services are excluded.

To find a participating urgent care clinic or provider, use the VA Facility Locator. There are currently two types of urgent care network locations: walk-in retail health clinics and urgent care centers. Seek care at a retail location for an uncomplicated illness, such as a sore throat. Visit an urgent location for more pressing illnesses or injuries requiring services, such as splinting, casting, or wound treatment.

Use the VA Facility Locator to find a participating urgent care clinic or provider.

Bring a valid, government-issued photo ID to the in-network urgent care location/pharmacy.

When you arrive, verify the provider is part of VA’s contracted network, complete the intake form, and tell the provider you would like to use your VA urgent care benefit.

The provider will check your eligibility.

• The provider will call 888-901-6609 if they are in Region 1, 2 or 3 (AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, PR, RI, SC, SD, TN, VA, VI, VT, WI, or WV).
• The provider will call 833-4VETNOW (833-483-8669) if they are in Region 4 or 5 (AK, AS, AZ, CA, CO, GU, HI, ID, MP, MT, NM, NV, OR, TX, UT, WA, or WY).

If you arrive at an urgent care located in Region 1, 2 or 3 and have issues, you can call 888-901-6609 for assistance. In Region 4 or 5, call 866-620-2071.

CCN national map | Region 1 map | Region 2 map | Region 3 map | Region 4 map | Region 5 map

No. You do not have to pay anything at the time of the visit. If you owe a copayment, VA will send you a bill. Copayments are $30, but your liability will depend on your assigned priority group and the number of times you have used your urgent care benefit in a calendar year. Learn more about urgent care copayments.

As of April 4, 2023, eligible Indian and urban Indian Veterans no longer have to pay a copay for urgent care.

VA will pay for or fill prescriptions for urgent care. For routine prescription medication longer than a 14-day supply, the prescription must be submitted to VA to be filled. Before filling the prescription, VA will verify the urgent care visit.

If there are issues filling your prescription:

• Call 888-901-6609 for assistance if there are issues filling your prescription in Region 1, 2 or 3 (AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, PR, RI, SC, SD, TN, VA, VI, VT, WI or WV).

• Call 866-620-2071 for assistance in Region 4 or 5 (AK, AS, AZ, CA, CO, GU, HI, ID, MP, MT, NM, NV, OR, TX, UT, WA, or WY).

CCN national map | Region 1 map | Region 2 map | Region 3 map | Region 4 map | Region 5 map

Contact your local VA medical facility to discuss options. Same-day primary and mental health services are available at all VA medical centers. In addition, VA continues to expand its contracted network of urgent care providers. Most Veterans are within a 30-minute drive time from their home to a network urgent care/retail location.

If you are having difficulties receiving urgent care services, contact your local VA medical facility. Same-day primary and mental health services are available at all VA medical centers. If you believe your life or health is in danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department immediately. Please note that VA can only pay for a Veteran’s emergency care under certain conditions.

For more information, visit the Emergency Care page.

No. Urgent care is not a replacement for services your primary care provider (PCP) offers. Use urgent care for treating minor, non-emergent illnesses and injuries. The urgent care benefit does not cover preventive health care offered by your primary care physician. Always consider talking with or seeing your PCP if you are concerned that the urgent care provider will not understand the complexities of your medical history or medications.

Urgent care is for non-life-threatening illnesses or injuries, such as strep throat, pink eye or a strained muscle.

Emergency care is for an injury, illness or symptom so severe that a prudent layperson reasonably believes that delay in seeking immediate medical attention would be hazardous to life or health. Such life-threatening major illnesses or injuries could include severe chest pain, seizures, loss of awareness, heavy uncontrollable breathing, severe burns, or a mental health crisis that could result in harm to yourself or others. For emergency care, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department right away.
Please note: VA can only pay for a Veteran’s emergency care under certain conditions.

For more information, visit the Emergency Care page.

Call 888-901-6609 for assistance if the urgent care location is in Region 1, 2 or 3 (AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, PR, RI, SC, SD, TN, VA, VI, VT, WI or WV).

Call 866-620-2071 for assistance if the urgent care location is in Region 4 or 5 (AK, AS, AZ, CA, CO, GU, HI, ID, MP, MT, NM, NV, OR, TX, UT, WA, and WY).

CCN national map | Region 1 map | Region 2 map | Region 3 map | Region 4 map | Region 5 map

VA will reimburse beneficiary travel for eligible Veterans that travel to receive community care. Payment will be made for the distance to either the nearest VA or community medical facility that could have provided the care or services. Payment will only be made on a one-way basis (e.g., not round-trip) for unscheduled care.

If the emergency department is part of VA’s contracted network and has agreed to furnish urgent care services in accordance with the contract requirements, VA can pay for these services for eligible Veterans under this benefit.

Only eligible Veterans can use this benefit. The benefit does not extend to family members and is not transferrable.