CHAMPVA benefits
If you’re the spouse, dependent, or survivor of a Veteran who meets certain service-connected disability requirements, you may qualify for health care benefits through the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA). Find out if you qualify for CHAMPVA and how to apply.
Eligibility for CHAMPVA
You may be eligible for CHAMPVA if you don’t qualify for TRICARE (the Defense Department’s health care program for service members and their families) and one of these descriptions is true for you.
At least one of these must be true:
- You’re the spouse or dependent child of a Veteran who’s been rated permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected disability, or
- You’re the surviving spouse or dependent child of a Veteran who died from a service-connected disability, or
- You’re the surviving spouse or dependent child of a Veteran who was at the time of their death rated permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected disability
Note: In certain cases, you may be eligible for CHAMPVA if you’re the surviving spouse or dependent child of a service member who died in the line of duty, not due to misconduct. But you can’t get CHAMPVA benefits if you qualify for TRICARE.
Eligibility for specific groups
Newborn dependent children
We can’t pay medical claims for a qualifying newborn child until they’re enrolled in CHAMPVA. Apply for CHAMPVA for your child as soon as possible after their birth.
Before you can apply for CHAMPVA for your child, you’ll need to take these 2 steps:
- First, get a Social Security number for your child at a Social Security Administration office
- Then, add your child as a dependent of the Veteran sponsor by contacting your nearest VA regional office
Surviving spouses who remarry
If you remarry on or after your 55th birthday, you can keep your CHAMPVA benefits after you remarry.
If you remarry before age 55, your CHAMPVA benefits will end on the date of your remarriage.
If you remarry before age 55, but your remarriage ends, you may qualify for CHAMPVA again. The first date that you qualify again is the first day of the month after your remarriage ends.
Spouses who are both Veterans
If you and your spouse are both Veterans, you may each qualify for both VA health care and CHAMPVA. If you enroll in both programs, you can choose to use either VA health care or CHAMPVA each time you need care.
Dependent children age 18 or older
If you’re enrolled full time in high school, college, or another educational institution, you can keep CHAMPVA benefits between ages 18 and 23. Your benefits will end when you’re no longer enrolled in school or when you turn 23, whichever comes first. If you get married before age 23, your benefits will end on the date of your marriage.
If you’re permanently unable to support yourself due to a disability that happened before age 18, you can keep CHAMPVA benefits after age 18. (We sometimes use the term “helpless child” to describe this situation.) Your benefits will end if you get married or become able to support yourself.
If you’re not enrolled in school or permanently disabled, your CHAMPVA benefits will end when you turn 18.
Stepchildren who leave the Veteran’s household
If you’re the stepchild of a Veteran and you leave the Veteran’s household because of a divorce or remarriage, you no longer qualify for CHAMPVA.
People who are age 65 or older or who qualify for Medicare at any age
If you’re eligible for Medicare, you must have Medicare Part A and Part B in order to get or keep CHAMPVA benefits. A Medicare Advantage plan (also called Plan C) also meets this requirement.
Primary family caregivers of Veterans with disabilities
You may qualify for CHAMPVA through the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers if you meet both of these requirements:
- You’re the primary family caregiver for a Veteran with disabilities, and
- You don’t have other health insurance
To find out if you qualify for CHAMPVA, you’ll need to apply for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers. If we determine that you qualify for CHAMPVA, we’ll enroll you automatically. You don’t need to do anything else to get CHAMPVA benefits.
Find out if you qualify for caregiver assistance and how to apply
Benefits you can get through CHAMPVA
CHAMPVA is a cost-sharing program. When you enroll in CHAMPVA, we share the cost of certain health care services and supplies with you.
How to apply for benefits
Supporting documents for your application
To find the documents you need to submit, select each description that applies to you.
If you have other health insurance (including Medicare)
You’ll need to submit these 2 supporting documents:
- A completed CHAMPVA-Other Health Insurance Certification (VA Form 10-7959c)
Get VA Form 10-7959c to download - A copy of the front and back of your health insurance card or Medicare card
Note: If you have Medicare Part D for prescription coverage, you’ll also need to submit a copy of the front and back of your Medicare Part D card.
If you’re age 65 or older and you don’t qualify for Medicare
You’ll need to submit a document called a “notice of disallowance” from the Social Security Administration. This document confirms that you don’t qualify for Medicare benefits under anyone’s Social Security number.
If you’re the spouse or surviving spouse of a Veteran
To help us process your application faster, submit a copy of one of these optional supporting documents:
- Marriage certificate, or
- Certificate of civil union, or
- Common-law marriage affidavit
If you’re a surviving spouse who remarried before age 55 and your remarriage has ended, submit a copy of one of these optional supporting documents:
- Divorce decree, or
- Annulment decree, or
- Death certificate
If you’re a dependent child or applying for a dependent child
To help us process your application faster, submit a copy of the child’s birth certificate. You may need to submit additional supporting documents in certain cases.
If the child is adopted
You’ll need to submit a copy of the adoption papers.
If the child is the Veteran sponsor’s stepchild
You’ll need to submit proof of the marriage between the Veteran sponsor and the child’s other parent.
If the child is between ages 18 to 23 and enrolled in school
You’ll need to submit a school certification letter as proof of enrollment. And you’ll need to recertify once a year.
Learn how to submit a school certification letter
If the child became permanently unable to support themselves before age 18
To help us process your application faster, you can submit a disability rating letter for the child (sometimes called a “helpless child” rating). Contact your nearest VA regional office and ask how to get this rating letter.
After you apply
It may take us up to 90 days to review your application. If we need more information, we’ll contact you.
If you’re eligible for CHAMPVA, we’ll send you a CHAMPVA ID card and program guide.