Phone Center
Contact Methods
- Phone Service: Hours of Operation (live agent): Monday - Friday
8:05 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. ET.
- Automated Phone Service: Available 24 hours 7 days a week
- Call the toll free assistance line at 1-800-733-8387
- Press
1
- Automated Web Service: Available 24 hours 7 days a week
- Online Chat: * Monday – Friday 10:00 A.M. - 6:30
P.M. EST.
* Dates and times for Online Chat are subject to change.
General Information
Managing call volume remains a priority. As we continue to improve
systems and procedures, our targeted call handling time is to answer
45% of calls in 30 seconds or less. Our target for email is to
respond within 24 hours. Our highest call volume is experienced
early in the week (Mondays - Wednesdays). The phone volume generally
slows down at the end of the week. Based on telephone statistics,
the best days to call to reduce waiting time are Thursday or Friday,
8:05 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. ET.
Staffing
The telephone center has nearly tripled the number of staff over
the last three years in order to meet and exceed our customers
expectations. We have also added three experts in the field of
call center/contact center operations, quality improvement, and
technology to help foster improved and expanded ways to better
serve all of our customers.
Quality Improvement
Early in 2003, we enhanced our Quality Improvement Program to
help our customer service representatives provide our beneficiaries,
sponsors and providers with the highest level of quality services
possible. Our telephone customer satisfaction survey results indicate
that we are consistently satisfying our customers greater than
95 percent of the time. You may ask the customer service representative
to take the automated survey via the phone. In the future, the
survey will be offered automatically, giving you a choice to take
it without having to ask.
Seasonal Information
Deductible
As this new year begins, remember that the annual (calendar year)
outpatient deductible is reset. The deductible is $50.00 per beneficiary
or $100.00 per family for the calendar year. Therefore, any claims
with a Date of Service (DOS) after January 1st will have a deductible
applied until the threshold is met.
Catastrophic Cap
The catastrophic cap of $3,000 per each CHAMPVA eligible family
starts over with the new calendar year as well. CHAMPVA automatically
calculates all of your cost shares and credits them to your Catastrophic
Cap. When this reaches $3,000 for the family, CHAMPVA will then
pay claims at 100%. Each calendar year, you are responsible for
your 25% cost share until this cap is met. Be sure to check your
explanation of benefits (EOB’s) for accuracy.
School Certifications
CHAMPVA eligibility for a child after their 18th birthday is dependent
upon them being a full time student. Verification of full time
student status is accomplished through a School Certification.
School Certifications must be on school letterhead, be signed by
a school official and must contain the following information: student’s
full name and SSN, the exact beginning and ending date for the
semester or enrollment term, the number of semester hours or equivalent
and must state that the student is enrolled full time. Because
of the impact on eligibility and to avoid interruption of CHAMPVA
medical coverage we encourage the submission of these certifications
upon enrollment for each new semester.
Focus on the HAC Mission and Vision
We remain focused on our Center’s Mission and Vision of
being the VA experts in health plan management and efficiently
administering health plans. Our values of integrity, accountability,
trust, challenge, customer service and humor allow us to assist
in improving the quality of life for families of service connected,
permanently and totally disabled veterans and veterans deceased
related to a service-connected condition, or who died on active
duty and who are not otherwise eligible for DoD TRICARE benefits,
while honoring their sacrifices. We look forward to continuing
our working relationship with you and meeting the challenges ahead.
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