CHAMPVA

Eligibility

To be eligible for CHAMPVA, you cannot be eligible for TRICARE/CHAMPUS and you must be in one of these categories:

• the spouse or child of a veteran who has been rated 100% permanently and totally disabled for a service connected disability by a VA regional office, or
  
• the surviving spouse or child of a veteran who died from a VA-rated service connected disability, or who was at the time death rated 100% permanently and totally disabled, or
  
• the surviving spouse or child of a military member who died in the line of duty, not due to misconduct.(in most of these cases, these family members are eligible for TRICARE, not CHAMPVA)
  
  You must also meet the following conditions for benefits to be extended past age 65:
  
• if you turned 65 before June 5, 2001, and only have MEDICARE Part A, you will be eligible for CHAMPVA without having to have MEDICARE Part B coverage.
  
• if you turned 65 before June 5, 2001, and have MEDICARE Parts A and B, you must keep both Parts to be eligible.
  
• if you turned 65 on or after June 5, 2001, you must be enrolled in MEDICARE Parts A and B to be eligible.
  
  Notice to new & expectant parents: In order to establish CHAMPVA eligibility for a newborn child, the following must be accomplished prior to the submission of an application.
  
  1. Obtain a Social Security Number for the newborn by applying to the nearest Social Security Administration office.
  
  2. Establish dependency of the newborn to the veteran sponsor by contacting the local VA regional office.
  
  Since the payment of claims is contingent upon the claimant's eligibility status, new parents are encouraged to take the above action as early as possible.
  
  Medicare Impact: Individuals, 65 or older, who lose CHAMPVA eligibility by becoming potentially eligible for Medicare Part A or who qualify for Medicare Part A benefits on the basis of disability, may re-establish CHAMPVA eligibility by submitting documentation from the Social Security Administration (SSA) certifying their non-entitlement to or exhaustion of Medicare Part A benefits.
  
  Otherwise eligible individuals under age 65 who are enrolled in both Medicare Parts A & B are potentially eligible for CHAMPVA as secondary payer to Medicare. To determine CHAMPVA eligibility, SSA documentation of enrollment in both Parts A & B is required.
  
  More Information
  
  For more information about CHAMPVA, including application procedures and information about how to file a claim, please visit the VA website . CHAMPVA is managed by the VA's Health Administration Center. You can call them at 800-733-8387, Monday through Friday from 8:15 AM to 6:00 PM Eastern Time. You can also e-mail them at hac.inq@med.va.gov. E-mail is the best way to communicate with them if you have this capability. You can also fax CHAMPVA at 1-303-331-7804. PLEASE do NOT fax applications to this number.
  
  Other Related Benefits
  
• Medical Benefits Package
• Foreign Medical Program
• TRICARE
• Minnesota DVA Optical and Dental Assistance
• Minnesota DVA Subsistence Program
• Minnesota State Veterans Homes