VA Healthcare: Your Guide to Community Care

Описание: Navigating community care is so important for military veterans. It allows you to access convenient care at no cost to you!

Community care is something that is through the VA and it's where you get care anywhere you want in the community, paid for by the VA.

00:00 Introduction
00:12 community care explained
00:30 why offer community care
00:47 how to get community care
01:05 schedule appointments
01:54 communicating with community care
02:38 the big thing to know!

So for instance, in my case, I had three foot surgeries all through my own surgeon. Through my own hospital here, local to me, but it was paid for by the VA because our VA is really backlogged and getting a procedure done there would have taken a long time. And so I said, I don't want to wait that long. I already have a foot surgeon. And they said, okay, would you like community care? And I said, yes.

So then I provided the name of my surgeon and the contact number. Community care reached out to their office and then I was scheduled for an appointment through the VA to see this surgeon. Now, all further appointments I just did through the surgeon's office.

But it was all under an umbrella of an approval for surgery by the VA to use this. And that approval, I believe, lasted for six months.

Because then after six months, you have to get another approval for community care. And so, over the course of a year, I had three surgeries, so I had to go through this process a few times.

But once you get that approval, then all your appointments with that doctor are covered. And all they have to do is bill the VA and then VA pays it. So super helpful to know. And it can be a little bit of a pain sometimes like the doctor's office and the VA community care don't talk to each other really well.

So you might have to bug them a little bit, but it's well worth it because I had three surgeries and didn't pay anything for it. And it was at a way more convenient facility for me. It was with a surgeon that I trusted and had a relationship with already. And it was just an overall very positive experience.

It's a service that not a lot of veterans know about or know how to take advantage of.

The big thing to know about community care is you need approval ahead of time. So if I just show up to the surgeon's office and say, Hey, the VA is going to pay for it, that doesn't work.

The VA has to approve it ahead of time. And then you show up and they say, Oh yeah, we have this approval. And then everything, it's all good. You have to get it done ahead of time. If you don't get it done ahead of time it's a real mess. I don't want to be in a mess. I don't think you do either.

Article on the subject https://thevocalveteran.com/2025/06/0...
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April from The Vocal Veteran is a Navy veteran and VA Accredited Claims Agent who represents clients with their VA claim appeals. Get the support you need to navigate the VA appeals process! Apply to work with her at thevocalveteran.com