How to ensure seamless care while traveling

If you are enrolled in health care with VA, you will receive the same care while traveling as you would at home. A Traveling Veteran Coordinator will help coordinate with the alternate facility, but you need to tell your care team about your plans before you travel.

It’s easy. Veterans can continue their VA health care in a different location while traveling. Even if you’ve temporarily relocated, simply tell your VA Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) of your travel destinations, a temporary address, updates to phone numbers, arrival and departure dates and specific care concerns while you are traveling. Then, a Traveling Veteran Coordinator ensures care is coordinated per your provider’s request, appointments scheduled, and eligibility are transferred to the alternate VA medical center.

Prescriptions during travel should also be discussed with your care team, prior to travel.

Most VA medical centers has a Traveling Veteran Coordinator. To notify VA of your upcoming travel, call your local VA facility and ask for your VA Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT). Notifying VA 4-6 weeks in advance of travel is preferred to ensure seamless care.

“Traveling Veteran Coordinators and PACT teams work together to ensure Veterans receive the best possible planned care while traveling away from their home VA,” said Mallory Murray, Veterans Integrated Service Networks 8 Traveling Veteran Coordinator Lead.

For overseas travel (foreign), Veterans are encouraged to contact the Foreign Medical Program.

Find a VA Facility

Also don’t forget to update your address on file if your mailing address is changing. This can be done in minutes online on VA.gov.

While traveling, take advantage of the United State’s 400+ National Parks – disabled Veterans are eligible for a free National Park Service Lifetime Access Pass.

More information on seamless care for traveling Veterans can be found at: https://www.va.gov/healthbenefits/access/seamless_care.asp

 

Topics in this story

Leave a comment

The comments section is for opinions and feedback on this particular article; this is not a customer support channel. If you are looking for assistance, please visit Ask VA or call 1-800-698-2411. Please, never put personally identifiable information (SSAN, address, phone number, etc.) or protected health information into the form — it will be deleted for your protection.

More Stories