Veterans Affairs (VA) and TRICARE health insurance plans both include coverage for spouses and children of U.S. military service personnel under limited qualifying conditions. It is possible to not be eligible for one or both of those programs, however.

The Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) program is designed to provide an additional insurance coverage option for spouses and/or children of U.S. Veterans who are deceased or significantly disabled.

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CHAMPVA
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CHAMPVA benefits partially cover the expenses related to a limited amount of healthcare-based services and medical supplies. 

CHAMPVA coverage is partially paid for by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). CHAMPVA eligibility is based on various factors.

People eligible for CHAMPVA insurance cannot also be eligible for TRICARE or the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS) benefits programs. CHAMPVA eligibility requires you to also be:

  • A spouse/child of a U.S. Veteran with a permanent/totally-disabled rating pursuant to an active service-related issue.
  • A spouse/child of a deceased U.S. Veteran whose death was the result of an issue caused by a permanent/total disability service-related issue as rated by the VA.
  • A spouse/child of a deceased U.S. Veteran who died while rated by the VA as being permanently/totally disabled due to a service-related issue.
  • A spouse/child of a deceased U.S. Veteran who died during active-duty due to any means other than that caused by misconduct.

A CHAMPVA application can be submitted online via the VA Benefits and Health Care (VHA) website. The specific website page has recently been updated to the VHA Community Care page.

Additional contact options for questions about CHAMPVA applications and benefits include:

  • MyVA411 main information line: 800-698-2411.
  • Telecommunications Relay Services: TTY-711.
  • VA benefits hotline: 800-827-1000.
  • Email updates portal.

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