The short answer
If you have CHAMPVA and no other prescription coverage, have your prescriber e-prescribe to "Meds by Mail CHAMPVA," pharmacy ID 5204437. You can also mail an original 90-day prescription to Meds by Mail, PO Box 331178, Murfreesboro, TN 37133. New prescriptions can take up to 21 days, so get a short local supply to bridge the gap.
Can you use Meds by Mail?
Only if you have no other health insurance that pays for prescriptions, including Medicare Part D. That rule is in 38 CFR 17.270 and VA's Meds by Mail page.
The CHAMPVA Guidebook says beneficiaries with no other drug coverage automatically qualify. There's no separate enrollment form.
It's free: no deductible and no cost share.
Option 1: E-prescribe (fastest)
Ask your prescriber to send it electronically:
- Pharmacy: Meds by Mail CHAMPVA
- Pharmacy ID: 5204437
The Guidebook says an e-prescribed 90-day prescription needs no other forms.
Option 2: Mail the prescription
Ask for a 90-day supply with refills. Make sure it shows:
- your full legal name,
- the last 4 digits of your Social Security number,
- your date of birth,
- your mailing address, and
- the prescriber's full name, phone number, and mailing address.
Send the original. VA doesn't accept copies. Mail to:
Meds by Mail
PO Box 331178
Murfreesboro, TN 37133
How long does it take?
Up to 21 days for a new prescription. Don't make Meds by Mail your only plan for something you need now.
Ask your prescriber for two prescriptions:
- a short-term supply to fill at an OptumRx network pharmacy, and
- a 90-day prescription with refills for Meds by Mail.
Is your medication available?
Meds by Mail is for regular maintenance medications. It fills generics and some brand names, but not everything. Check VA's Meds by Mail medication list. VA says:
- the list is examples, not a guarantee,
- not every strength may be available,
- they may substitute a generic, and
- many controlled substances, including many opioid pain medications, aren't available.
More here: Which medications are available through Meds by Mail?
Refrigerated medications, like insulin, can't be mailed to a PO box. They also can't go to most addresses outside the continental U.S., except Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam.
Common mistakes
- Using Meds by Mail while another drug plan is active
- Wrong pharmacy name or ID
- Mailing a copy instead of the original
- Leaving off your identifying information
- Waiting until you're almost out
- Using a PO box for insulin
After it starts
Use the refill steps here: How to refill or renew a Meds by Mail prescription.