Urgent Care

VA offers an urgent care benefit that provides eligible Veterans with greater choice and access to timely, high-quality care. Urgent care providers treat injuries and illnesses that require immediate attention, but are not life-threatening. The benefit supplements care Veterans may also have access to at a VA medical facility.

When using the urgent care benefit, you must go to an urgent care provider in VA’s network. Upon arriving, you must state that you are using your VA urgent care benefit.

The urgent care provider will verify your eligibility before providing care.

Covered Services

The urgent care benefit covers services provided by urgent care centers and walk-in retail health clinics such as:

• Colds
• Ear infections
• Minor injuries
• Pink eye
• Skin infections
• Strep throat

The urgent care benefit also covers diagnostic services like X-rays, some lab testing and some medications (with notable limitations). Therapeutic vaccines are covered when these are required for the treatment of certain conditions covered under the urgent care benefit.

Services Not Covered

Preventive care services are not covered through the urgent care benefit, such as:

• Flu Shots
• vaccines

Copayments

You may be charged a copayment for urgent care that is different from other VA medical copayments. Copayments depend on your assigned priority group and the number of times an urgent care provider is visited in a calendar year.

Copayment charges are billed separately by VA as part of VA’s billing process. There is no limit to the number of times you can go to an urgent care provider.

* Special authorities include those related to combat service and exposures (e.g. Agent Orange, active duty at Camp Lejeune, Ionizing Radiation, Project Shipboard Hazard and Defense (SHAD/Project 112), Southwest Asia Conditions) as well as Military Sexual Trauma, and presumptions applicable to certain Veterans with psychosis and other mental illnesses.

For more information on Urgent Care click HERE.