Quick answer
If your provider is not filing the CHAMPVA claim for you and you need beneficiary reimbursement, you can mail the claim to VA.
Use the current CHAMPVA Claim Form (VA Form 10-7959A), include the supporting documents that apply to your claim, and mail the packet to:
VHA Office of Integrated Veteran Care
CHAMPVA Claims
PO Box 500
Spring City, PA 19475
VA's current CHAMPVA claim instructions and the current March 2025 Form 10-7959A both use this Spring City address. The CHAMPVA Guidebook uses the label “CHAMPVA Beneficiary Claims” for the same PO Box 500 address.
Do not rely on an old saved form for the mailing address. Download the current form from VA when you are ready to file.
You must also be enrolled in direct deposit before VA can pay a beneficiary reimbursement claim.
First, confirm that you need to file the claim yourself
VA says that in most cases the health care provider should file the CHAMPVA claim and receive CHAMPVA's payment directly.
You are more likely to file a beneficiary reimbursement claim yourself when the provider does not file CHAMPVA for you and you paid out of pocket.
Before mailing a packet, confirm that the provider has not already submitted the same claim. This helps avoid a duplicate submission.
If you are deciding who should file, see Who Files a CHAMPVA Claim: Provider or Beneficiary?. If you would rather submit electronically, see How to File a CHAMPVA Claim Online.
Step 1: Download the current VA Form 10-7959A
Start from VA's official Form 10-7959A page. The form page currently lists a March 2025 revision.
The current form is for a beneficiary claim completed by the patient, sponsor, or guardian. It is not the form a provider uses to submit its own claim.
Complete the form carefully, including the patient information, other-health-insurance information when applicable, sponsor information, and the claimant certification. Make sure the certification is signed and dated.
The CHAMPVA Guidebook also instructs beneficiaries to:
- use a separate claim form for each CHAMPVA beneficiary;
- list the beneficiary's name the same way it appears on the CHAMPVA identification card;
- include the CHAMPVA Member Number; and
- keep copies of the documents submitted.
Using the current form also helps prevent a common routing problem: older saved versions of CHAMPVA forms may contain outdated contact information.
Step 2: Gather the supporting documents for a medical claim
For a typical medical reimbursement claim, VA's current instructions require both:
- proof that you paid the provider, such as a receipt or a billing statement marked paid; and
- an itemized billing statement from the provider.
A regular balance-due statement may not contain enough information. Ask the provider for an itemized statement, superbill, CMS-1500, UB-04, or equivalent detailed billing record.
The current VA instructions and Form 10-7959A call for detailed claim information that includes, as applicable:
- patient name and date of birth;
- CHAMPVA Member Number;
- provider name and professional title;
- provider National Provider Identifier (NPI);
- provider tax identification number (TIN);
- provider address and telephone number;
- date or dates of service;
- itemized charges;
- quantity of services;
- diagnosis codes; and
- CPT or HCPCS procedure codes or other required service descriptions.
Missing billing detail can delay claim processing, so check the statement before you mail it.
If you have other health insurance
CHAMPVA is generally the last payer when other health insurance applies. Under 38 CFR § 17.276, CHAMPVA generally does not pay until the other health insurance has made its final payment determination or issued an explanation of benefits.
If other health insurance applies, file with that plan first. Then include its Explanation of Benefits (EOB) with your CHAMPVA claim.
Make sure the EOB and the itemized bill line up. VA's current claim instructions say the EOB should identify the date of service, provider, services, and amount paid. The current Form 10-7959A also instructs beneficiaries to attach the other insurer's EOB to the itemized billing statement.
For a fuller explanation of payer order, see How CHAMPVA Works With Other Health Insurance.
Special documentation situations
Some claims need more than the standard medical packet.
Prescription reimbursement
For an out-of-network prescription claim, VA requires pharmacy documentation rather than a medical itemized bill. The current VA claim page says the pharmacy document should include the pharmacy's contact information, the medication name, dosage, strength, quantity, cost and copay, the 11-digit National Drug Code, the fill date, and the prescribing provider's name.
Kaiser Permanente
VA's current instructions say beneficiaries filing a claim involving Kaiser Permanente should also include a copy of the Kaiser Permanente insurance card showing the copayment amount, because Kaiser itemized statements may not contain all information CHAMPVA needs.
Double-sided documents
VA says its claim-processing workflow can scan only one side of each document. If an attachment is double-sided, include a photocopy of the back side as a separate page.
Step 3: Do a final packet check before mailing
Before you seal the envelope, confirm all of these:
- You downloaded the current Form 10-7959A from VA.
- The form is complete, signed, and dated.
- The beneficiary's identifying information matches the CHAMPVA record.
- You included proof of payment.
- You included a sufficiently detailed itemized bill.
- You included the other insurer's EOB when other health insurance applies.
- Any special claim documentation is included.
- You copied the back of any double-sided documents.
- You are enrolled in direct deposit for beneficiary reimbursement.
- You made a complete copy of the packet for your records.
The CHAMPVA Guidebook specifically recommends keeping copies of receipts, invoices, and other claim documents.
Step 4: Mail the packet to the current beneficiary claims address
Mail the completed beneficiary claim packet to:
VHA Office of Integrated Veteran Care
CHAMPVA Claims
PO Box 500
Spring City, PA 19475
This is the beneficiary claims address shown on VA's current claim page and on the current Form 10-7959A.
Do not confuse it with the CHAMPVA Eligibility address used for applications and eligibility documents, or the separate Appeals address used for decision reviews.
For a broader routing reference, see CHAMPVA Contacts, Mailing Addresses, and Official Forms.
Should you use tracking or certified mail?
The current VA filing instructions reviewed for this guide do not require a particular carrier or a specific mail service.
For your own recordkeeping, however, a mailing method that provides tracking can be useful. If you use one, keep the mailing receipt and tracking number with your copy of the claim packet. That gives you a record of when the packet was sent and when delivery was recorded.
This is a practical documentation step, not a separate CHAMPVA coverage requirement.
Do not wait until the filing deadline
For most ordinary CHAMPVA claims, the filing deadline is one year after the date of service. For inpatient care, it is generally one year after discharge.
38 CFR § 17.276 also contains special 180-day filing windows for certain retroactive authorizations or retroactive CHAMPVA eligibility.
If your deadline is close or your eligibility was approved retroactively, verify the rule that applies to your situation before relying on the ordinary one-year timeframe.
What happens after VA receives the claim?
VA's current claim page says claim processing takes about 90 days. VA will contact you if it needs more information.
If VA needs missing documentation, it may send an EOB or letter describing what is needed. Follow the instructions in that notice and keep the notice with your claim records.
If you need help with a mailed claim, the current Form 10-7959A and CHAMPVA Guidebook list CHAMPVA customer service at 800-733-8387.
Common mailing mistakes to avoid
The problems most likely to create preventable delay are:
- using an old form or old mailing address;
- sending only a regular bill instead of an itemized statement;
- forgetting proof of payment;
- omitting the primary insurer's EOB when other health insurance applies;
- leaving the claimant certification unsigned or undated;
- sending double-sided documents without copies of the back sides;
- mailing the only copy of your records; or
- waiting until the filing deadline is too close for comfort.
A careful packet does not guarantee that CHAMPVA will cover the service, but it gives VA the documentation it needs to adjudicate the reimbursement claim.