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Office of Community Care

If your VA facility doesn’t offer a specific service, and if you can’t get an appointment in a timely manner, you may be eligible for community care.

As a Veteran, you have more choices than ever when it comes to your health care. Your appointment can be in-person at a VA medical center, or you might choose to meet with your VA provider through a video appointment or over the phone. You may also be eligible for care with community provider.

Collage of medical imagery and icons.

Overview of community care

With community care, eligible Veterans have access to a network of more than a million community providers across all 50 states and U.S. territories. Community care supplements the VA health care system so Veterans can receive care through community providers when VA can’t provide the care you need, when or where you need it.

Here are two examples where you could be eligible for community care: (1) When VA doesn’t provide a specific type of care or (2) when you have to drive too far or wait too long to get care with a VA provider.

In most cases, you must receive VA approval before receiving care from a community provider. Check with VA staff, such as your the local Referral Coordination Team, to understand all of your potential options including community care.

How to determine eligibility for community care

You may be eligible for community care if you meet any of the following six criteria:

  • You require a specific service your VA health facility does not provide
  • You live in a state or territory that doesn’t have a full-service VA health care facility
  • You previously qualified under the 40-mile distance requirement and remained qualified on June 6, 2018, and you still live in a location that would make you eligible under these requirements
  • VA can’t provide the care you need within our access standards for drive and wait times
  • You and your VA provider agree that getting care from an in-network community provider is in your best medical interest
  • VA can’t provide the service needed in a way that meets our quality standards

Setting up an appointment and finding a community provider

First, check with a member of your VA care team to find out if you’re eligible for community care.

After community care eligibility is confirmed, there are two options to schedule an appointment with a community provider:

  1. Coordinate with a VA staff member to schedule an appointment for you, or
  2. Schedule an appointment with the provider directly by using VA Online Scheduling to request an appointment.

Learn more about VA Online Scheduling.

To reschedule or cancel your community care appointment, you must contact the community provider and the Office of Community Care at 720-857-5988.

After your community care appointment (VA authorized care/appointment):

  • Routine prescriptions for medications must be faxed from the community provider to the VA Pharmacy at . Prescriptions must appear on the VA National Formulary.
  • Prescriptions from an ER or Urgent Care visit can be taken to a community pharmacy for a 14-day supply with no refills. You will be required to pay out-of-pocket.
  • To be reimbursed for the cost of these prescriptions, mail VA Form 10-320, payment receipt, and a copy of the prescription to:

VA Community Care Payment Center
P.O. Box 1004
Fort Harrison, MT 59636

  • If your community care provider wants to order DME (crutches, splints, oxygen equipment, hospital beds, etc.) they must fill out a Request for Service (RFS) Form and fax it to the Office of Community Care at .
  • To request the status of a DME order, call 720-723-6868.
  • To request the status of an eyeglass order, call 303-283-5303.

Community care information and resources

  • VA provides care to Veterans through community providers when VA cannot provide the care needed. Community care is based on specific eligibility requirements, availability of VA care, and the needs and circumstances of individual Veterans.

  • As a Veteran, you may be eligible to get care outside VA. This means we’ll pay for the cost of your care from a health care provider in our community care network.

  • Community care process explained with an infographic.

  • This video explains how a community provider in VA's network is selected and options for scheduling appointments for Veteran community care.

  • Schedule, cancel, and manage some health appointments online.

  • Send and receive non-urgent messages with VA providers and staff on your care team. Organize messages in folders. Download and print messages.

  • Find a VA location or in-network community care provider. For same-day care for minor illnesses or injuries, select Urgent care for facility type.

  • If you’re an eligible Veteran, you can get urgent care at VA medical centers and in‑network urgent care providers near you.

Helpful phone numbers

Four happy medical professionals.

If you are having a medical emergency, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. You must notify the ER Notification Line within 72 hours.

ER Notification Line: 844-724-7842

Payment for a reported ER visit is based on eligibility.

ER visits may also be reported online.

If you would like to schedule your appointments online, access the VA Online Scheduling app.

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