CHAMPVA–Information for Providers
The Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) is a comprehensive health care program for the spouse or widow(er) and children of an eligible Veteran. Through CHAMPVA, VA shares the cost of certain health care services and supplies with eligible beneficiaries. CHAMPVA may also provide benefits to the Primary Family Caregiver through the Caregiver Support Program. For more information, check out the CHAMPVA and the Caregiver programs.
If a provider needs to treat someone who is part of the CHAMPVA program, the eligible individual should have a CHAMPVA identification card. You can check on the eligibility status of a CHAMPVA beneficiary, or the status of payment for a claim, 24 hours a day by using our Interactive Voice Recognition (IVR) system. Please have the beneficiary's Social Security Number and your tax ID number available when calling.
Interactive Voice Recognition System: 800-733-8387
The VHA Office of Community Care processes CHAMPVA applications, determines eligibility, authorizes benefits, and processes medical claims. Providers are encouraged to file claims directly with CHAMPVA.
For information on filing claims, visit Filing a CHAMPVA Claim.
Frequently Asked Questions
Certain types of care/services require advance approval, commonly known as preauthorization. This approval, or preauthorization, is extremely important, and the failure to obtain it may result in denial of the claim. Preauthorization is required for:
- Adjunctive Dental (procedures that are directly related to covered medical conditions)
- Durable medical equipment (DME) with a purchase price or total rental price of $2,000 or more
- Mental health/substance abuse services
- Organ and bone marrow transplants
No. CHAMPVA does not have contract providers. You must be properly licensed in your state to receive payment from CHAMPVA, and cannot be on the Medicare exclusion list.
Yes, under 38 CFR section 272(b) (3) and (4), providers who agree to accept the beneficiary must accept the CHAMPVA allowable charges and cannot balance bill the beneficiary. The sole exception is when the beneficiary is notified prior to any services being rendered that you do not accept CHAMPVA and the beneficiary must pay the entire billed amount up front and file the claim to CHAMPVA.
The most efficient way to file a claim for CHAMPVA is electronically. The VHA Office of Community Care accepts electronically submitted 837 claim transactions. These include the 837 Institutional, 837 Professional, and 837 Dental transactions. Transactions are accepted from providers for medical services and supplies provided in the United States, a U.S. Commonwealth or the territories.
You must submit electronic claims through our clearinghouse, Change Healthcare (formerly Emdeon™). Our Payer ID number is 84146 for medical claims and 84147 for dental claims. You can also check medical claim status and eligibility status electronically through Change Healthcare using the 276 and 270 HIPAA transactions.
CHAMPVA receives Medicare Crossover Parts A & B and DMERC claims for our beneficiaries. If your patient is a Medicare beneficiary your claim will be forwarded electronically to CHAMPVA if we have the Medicare Health Insurance Claim number (HICN) on file. Please review your electronic remittance advice from Medicare to determine if your claim has been forwarded to us. Claims can be mailed to the address listed below.
For more information on filing claims, visit Filing a CHAMPVA Claim.
Contacts
VA Customer Call Center
800-733-8387
Monday-Friday, 8:05 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. EST
VHA Office of Community Care
ATTN: CHAMPVA
PO Box 469063
Denver CO 80246-9063
