The short answer
When CHAMPVA approves you, VA mails a welcome letter and an ID card for each person covered. Check the name and effective date, keep the card safe (the member number is your Social Security number), and bring it to every appointment. Providers bill medical claims to payer ID 84146.
What comes in the mail after approval?
A welcome letter and a CHAMPVA ID card. VA's CHAMPVA page says it mails both once your application is approved. Every eligible family member and Primary Family Caregiver gets their own card.
The CHAMPVA Guidebook, which explains the program in detail, is available online and in the CHAMPVA mobile app, and you can ask for a printed copy.
What should you check as soon as the card arrives?
A few minutes now can save you a rejected claim later.
- Your name. Make sure it's your legal name, spelled the way your providers will bill it. If it's wrong, call CHAMPVA to fix it before anyone files claims.
- The effective date. It's on the lower-left corner of the card. That's the first day CHAMPVA covers you.
- Old bills, if your coverage is retroactive. If your effective date is before today, you may be able to file claims for care you already had. You have 180 days after your first ID card is issued to file those. More here: Retroactive CHAMPVA eligibility.
- Your other insurance. If you have Medicare or any other health plan, make sure CHAMPVA knows. You report it on VA Form 10-7959c. More here: How to report other health insurance.
- Your address. Make sure CHAMPVA has your current mailing address so letters and replacement cards reach you.
Why should you guard the card?
Because your CHAMPVA member number is your Social Security number. The Guidebook says so directly. Share it when a provider or insurer actually needs it, but don't send it by regular email or text.
What should you bring to appointments?
Your CHAMPVA card, plus any Medicare or other insurance cards. If you have other insurance, it usually pays first, so the office needs that information to bill correctly.
The office will usually confirm your legal name, address, date of birth, and member number. If you've already met your yearly deductible or hit the $3,000 family cap, you can show your latest Explanation of Benefits to prove it.
What information does a provider's billing office need?
CHAMPVA uses different identifiers for different jobs, and offices mix them up a lot.
| What the office is doing | What to use |
|---|---|
| Checking eligibility electronically | Payer ID VAHAC |
| Sending a medical claim electronically | Payer ID 84146 |
| Sending a dental claim electronically | Payer ID 84147 |
| Checking eligibility by phone | 888-820-1756 (open 24/7; have the patient's SSN and the office's tax ID ready) |
These come from VA's CHAMPVA provider guidance. They can change, so offices setting up billing should confirm them there.
Does the card mean a provider will take CHAMPVA?
No. The card shows who you are and that you're covered. It doesn't mean every provider will bill CHAMPVA, and it doesn't mean every service is covered.
CHAMPVA has no network, so you need to ask each office whether they bill CHAMPVA and accept assignment. More here: How to find a provider who accepts CHAMPVA. A few services also need approval ahead of time: Which CHAMPVA services require preauthorization?
What if your card hasn't come or you lost it?
VA says a first card can take up to 6 weeks after you apply. For a replacement, call CHAMPVA customer service at 800-733-8387 (Monday through Friday, 8:05 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET).
You can still get care while you wait. Your provider can confirm your coverage electronically or by phone without the physical card.
Is the CHAMPVA card the same as my pharmacy card?
No. Retail prescriptions use a separate OptumRx pharmacy card and different billing information. Don't give a pharmacy the medical payer ID. More here: CHAMPVA prescription drug coverage.