How fugitive felon status affects your VA health care eligibility

What happens to your VA health care benefits

If you’re a fugitive felon, by law we can’t provide health care benefits to you or your dependents.

We consider you a fugitive felon if 1 of these is true:

• You flee to avoid prosecution, custody, or confinement after a felony conviction for an offense, or an attempt to commit an offense, that’s considered a felony in the location you flee from, or
• After committing a felony under federal or state law, you violate parole or probation

If we consider you a fugitive felon, you’ll receive a notification letter. You’ll have 60 days to provide proof that the felony warrant was resolved. If you don’t provide proof within those 60 days, we’ll suspend VA health care benefits and services for you and your dependents.

Note: If you’ve been receiving critical care treatment (dialysis or chemotherapy), we’ll help transition you to care in the community at your expense.

How to clear your status if you’re not a fugitive felon

To clear your status, you’ll need to contact the originating agency that issued the felony warrant (not the VA police). And you’ll need to provide 1 of these documents to your local VA medical center or medical facility:

• A written statement from a federal or state criminal clerk office stating that the felony warrant has been resolved, or
• A court docket with the case number, signed by a criminal clerk, sheriff, or judge, stating the case has been adjudicated (officially decided), or
• Any official case adjudication document from the originating agency

Note: We’ll reinstate your VA health care benefits after you provide proof that your felony warrant has been satisfied.

For more information, contact the Fugitive Felon Coordinator or Enrollment Coordinator at your local VA medical center.

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