The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) has announced that it is expanding access to its Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) program. The expansion will allow family members of veterans, as well as primary family caregivers, to access expanded mental health benefits, contraceptive services, and audio-only telehealth. This will help the families of veterans to better care for themselves, which in turn will improve the lives of veterans with families.
What is CHAMPVA?
CHAMPVA is a healthcare program for certain members of the military that do not qualify for TRICARE, which is the standard government healthcare program for veterans, active service members, and their families. It allows access to care for the family members of disabled veterans and deceased veterans, allowing them to benefit from the VA healthcare system. The program helps cover the costs of certain types of care, as well as the costs of medication and medical supplies.
What Does This Expansion Do?
The new CHAMPVA expansion gives additional benefits to the family members of disabled veterans, as well as primary family caregivers. Among other things, it allows them to access audio-only telehealth, which can be particularly useful for rural patients who may struggle to access VA facilities. It also removes caps on access to mental health and substance abuse coverage, and removes deductibles for certain essential contraceptive services.
Why Was it Implemented?
This expansion was put into place to help cover the increasing costs of certain types of care, as well as expand access for rural veterans and their families. Often, the families of disabled veterans can struggle to get care just as much as they do, and this can help to alleviate that. These improvements could affect every current beneficiary of CHAMPVA, which currently includes more than 700,000 people.
How Could This Impact You?
If you are a disabled veteran or have a family member that is suffering from a disability due to their military service, you may be eligible for CHAMPVA. If that is the case, this expansion could help you get better access to the benefits you deserve. First, however, you must be recognized as a disabled veteran by the VA, which means ensuring you have access to VA disability benefits.
The attorneys of Sullivan & Kehoe place a special focus on assisting disabled veterans. Our veterans’ disability lawyers are still available for remote consultation on your legal issues. Call our office at (800) 395-7830 to schedule a consultation in our New York City, Garden City, Kings Park, Riverhead, or White Plains office, or visit our contact page.
