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New York/New Jersey VA Health Care Network

 

Veterans Service Center

VA Payment for Emergency Care Provided by a Community Hospital

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**Please note: You are advised to contact your VA Primary Care Provider for any follow up treatment recommended by the non-VA Emergency care provider. VA payment for non-VA follow up care is not guaranteed (includes suture removal, referral to clinical specialist, diagnostic testing, etc.).
We encourage you to call your VA medical center
first for care.

However, if you should need emergency care for a medical or mental health condition and there is no VA medical center close to you - call 911 or go to the nearest community hospital that has an emergency room.

When you are admitted to a community hospital for emergency care a family, friend or hospital staff
needs to contact VA within 72 hours of your admission to provide VA information about your emergency care.

In limited circumstances, VA may authorize payment for care provided in a non-VA facility.

VA policy states that payment for outpatient and inpatient emergency care services provided by a community hospital may be paid if the following criteria are met:
  • The emergency treatment was for a Service- Connected (SC) disability
  • The emergency treatment was for a Non- Service Connected (NSC) disability and you have no other health care insurance coverage (Millennium Health Care and Benefits Act)
  • Treatment was for an emergent condition
  • A VA facility was not available to you
  • The claim is filed timely
  • All VA forms are completed, signed and returned to VA upon request
The important thing to remember is to never place yourself at risk because you want to avoid receiving medical bills from a community hospital for emergency care. VA's Millennium Health Care and Benefi ts Act provides a safety net to veterans enrolled in VA health care for emergency care for a non Service Connected condition and who have no other means of health insurance coverage for the emergency services provided.

Emergency care provided outside the United States may be paid by VA if the emergency care is related to a service-connected condition.

For more information on care provided by a community emergency room call the Network 2 Non-VA care office at 1-800-396-7929 or visit www.va.gov/hac/hacmain.asp

For more information on care outside the United States contact VA Health Administration Center at (877) 345-8179 or go to www.va.gov/hac/hacmain/.asp

Veterans Service Center


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