The short answer
Most CHAMPVA claims are due within 1 year of the date of care, or 1 year from discharge for a hospital stay. If VA approves a service or grants eligibility after the fact, you get 180 days from that notice. VA can accept a late claim for good cause, but slow provider billing doesn't count.
The four deadlines
From 38 CFR 17.276:
| Situation | Deadline | Clock starts |
|---|---|---|
| Most care | 1 year | Date of service |
| Hospital stay | 1 year | Date of discharge |
| VA approves a service after the fact | 180 days | When you're notified of the approval |
| VA grants eligibility back in time | 180 days | When you're notified of the eligibility |
VA's CHAMPVA claim page states the 1-year rule the same way.
The clock doesn't start when you get the bill, pay it, or realize the provider never filed. It starts on the date of care.
Retroactive eligibility
If CHAMPVA approval reaches back before the approval date, you have 180 days to file older bills for care on or after your effective date. The CHAMPVA Guidebook describes the window as 180 days after your first CHAMPVA ID card is issued.
The regulation and Guidebook word the start date a little differently. If the approval letter and card dates differ, use the earlier one.
Care before the event that made you eligible isn't covered. More here: Retroactive CHAMPVA eligibility.
Retroactive approval of a service
If VA approves a service after it happened, you get 180 days from that approval notice. Not every service that skipped preauthorization gets this. It applies only when VA actually approves it after the fact. More here: Missed CHAMPVA preauthorization.
Does other insurance extend the deadline?
No. CHAMPVA usually needs the other plan's EOB first, so file with the other plan quickly. If its delay causes you to miss the CHAMPVA deadline, VA may grant an exception, but it isn't automatic.
What if you already missed it?
Under 38 CFR 17.276(b), VA can accept a late claim for good cause. The request must be in writing with:
- a full explanation of what caused the delay, and
- all supporting documents.
VA decides each case on its own. Organize your request around:
- which claim and dates are involved,
- what caused the delay,
- the documents proving it,
- when the problem was resolved and that you acted promptly, and
- copies of everything you send.
Other insurance delay can support good cause if it wasn't your fault. Include when you filed with that plan, its correspondence, and when it finally decided.
Provider billing delay doesn't count. The regulation says so directly. If a provider said they'd file and didn't, that alone won't excuse the late claim. That's why it's worth checking on provider-filed claims. More here: Who files the CHAMPVA claim?
There's no special form. If you're unsure how to attach the request, ask CHAMPVA at 800-733-8387 before filing. If VA already denied for timely filing, use the review steps in the letter.
A separate 1-year clock
If VA asks for missing information after you file, you have 1 year from the date of that letter to respond. That's a different deadline from the original one. More here: How to resubmit a claim with missing information.
Checklist
- Identify the type of claim.
- Write down the date that starts your clock.
- Start with other insurance early.
- Confirm who's filing.
- Keep proof of submission.
- Don't wait while you figure out exceptions. File.