How do Veterans get VA Community Care?

Am I eligible for care outside VA?

VA says you must be enrolled in or eligible for VA health care, have VA approval in most routine-care situations, and meet at least one Community Care criterion. Examples include a needed service VA does not provide, access standards for drive or wait time, or a joint determination with your VA clinician that community care is in your best medical interest. VA makes the individual determination; a diagnosis or service-connected rating alone does not prove eligibility. See VA’s current eligibility page.

What is the referral-to-appointment sequence?

1. Ask your VA team for the specific service. Describe the symptoms, functional impact, and care already tried. Ask who owns the referral and how you will hear back.
2. Check the provider. Search the VA Facility Locator or ask your VA team to find an in-network clinician. Confirm with the actual office that the clinician accepts new VA Community Care referrals for the requested service.
3. Wait for VA approval. VA says its review and preparation of a referral can take up to 14 days. Do not assume a clinic’s willingness to see you is an authorization.
4. Schedule and tell VA. VA says you may schedule yourself or ask the team to schedule. If you schedule yourself, report the appointment to your VA team within 14 days.
5. Read the authorization letter. Verify the authorization number, provider, covered care, and period of approval before the visit.
6. Track follow-up. Ask how notes, prescriptions, further referrals, and any request for more visits will return to your VA team. Care outside the authorization may need a new referral.

These steps follow VA’s referral and scheduling guide; your local team can explain the status of your case.

What if the listed provider will not take the referral?

Tell your VA community care team the exact office and clinician that declined, and ask for another in-network option or help finding a provider. The first VeteransAffairs discussion and VeteransBenefits discussion include reports of listings that did not match actual availability. Other commenters describe helpful VA teams and successful community appointments. Treat the listings as a starting point and verify acceptance directly.

Who can help if the process stalls?

Start with your referring VA team and local community care office. Keep the referral date, names of people contacted, appointment date, and authorization number in one place. If your concerns are not resolved by the care team, VA directs Veterans to the Patient Advocate at their VA medical center. For a denial of care, VA also describes a clinical appeals process on its eligibility page.