Survivors
Health Care (CHAMPVA)
Lifetime health coverage that shares the cost of care for the spouse or children of a veteran who is permanently and totally disabled - or who died from a service-connected condition. It pays alongside Medicare, fills prescriptions by mail for free, and opens the door to low-cost dental.
Who this is for
If you are the spouse or child of a veteran who is rated permanently and totally disabled - or who has died from a service-connected condition - CHAMPVA can cover your health care for the rest of your life. Most families have never heard of it, or assume it is only for the veteran. It is not. This is coverage for you, and once you are enrolled it can pay right alongside Medicare, fill your maintenance prescriptions by mail for free, and even open the door to low-cost dental insurance.
In plain language
What Health Care (CHAMPVA) covers
- Cost-sharing coverage for doctor visits, hospital stays, prescriptions, and most medical services
- For spouses and children who are not eligible for TRICARE
- Works as a second payer alongside Medicare once you are Medicare-eligible
- Free maintenance prescriptions by mail, and access to low-cost VADIP dental insurance
What Is CHAMPVA?Official video - U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
What it really costs you
How the CHAMPVA math actually works
People hear “25 percent” and worry about a bad year wiping them out. It cannot. Here are two real years side by side - a quiet one and an expensive one - so you can see exactly where your dollars stop.
A typical year
$6,000 allowableYou pay
$1,575
CHAMPVA pays
$4,425
Well under the cap. You pay the deductible plus a quarter of the allowable amount; CHAMPVA covers the rest.
A heavy year (surgery, hospital stay)
$30,000 allowableYou pay
$3,000
CHAMPVA pays
$27,000
This is the protection that matters. No matter how large the bills get, your out-of-pocket for covered care stops at $3,000 for the whole family - then CHAMPVA pays 100%.
Once you have Medicare, who pays first?
This is where CHAMPVA quietly shines. Unlike a veteran’s own VA care, CHAMPVA is a true second payer to Medicare - so for care both cover, most of what Medicare leaves behind gets picked up.
Pays first
Medicare
Covers its share of the doctor visit, procedure, or hospital stay.
Pays second
CHAMPVA
Can pick up much of the Medicare deductible and the 20% coinsurance for CHAMPVA-covered services.
The one rule to protect: once you are Medicare-eligible you must keep both Part A and Part B to stay on CHAMPVA. CHAMPVA will not pay your Part B premium - but dropping Part B to save that premium can cost you CHAMPVA altogether.
Two extras families leave on the table
Meds by Mail - free
If you have no other drug coverage (including no Medicare Part D), your maintenance prescriptions are filled and mailed to you with no copay, no deductible, and no cost. A 90-day supply arrives at your door. Urgent, short-term medicines go through the OptumRx retail network instead.
Low-cost dental (VADIP)
CHAMPVA does not include routine dental, but CHAMPVA beneficiaries can buy discounted dental insurance through the VA Dental Insurance Program from Delta Dental or MetLife. Plans cover cleanings, fillings, crowns, and dentures. Enroll any time, directly with the carrier.
Delta Dental: 855-460-3302
How to apply, step by step
- 1
Gather your proof
Your marriage certificate or the child's birth certificate, and a copy of your Medicare card (front and back) if you have one.
- 2
Complete VA Form 10-10d
The Application for CHAMPVA Benefits. If you also want the free pharmacy, you can include the Other Health Insurance form at the same time.
- 3
Send it to the Denver office
Mail or fax the packet to the VHA Office of Community Care in Denver, or apply online. Processing typically takes a few weeks.
- 4
Use your card - and add the extras
Once your CHAMPVA card arrives, set up Meds by Mail for free maintenance prescriptions and, if you want dental, enroll in a VADIP plan.
Not sure your family qualifies? Tell me your situation and I’ll check eligibility before you file a single form.
The full picture
Everything you need to know
Nothing hidden behind a click. Here is the whole story in plain language, so you can decide what fits your situation.
Key facts & current figures
- Lifetime cost-sharing health coverage for the spouse or children of a veteran rated permanently and totally (P&T) disabled from a service-connected condition - or who died from a service-connected condition, or died on active duty.
- Only for dependents who are NOT eligible for TRICARE.
- Annual deductible is just $50 per person, capped at $100 per family - and it is waived for inpatient care, hospice, most preventive care, and Meds by Mail.
- After the deductible, CHAMPVA pays 75% of the allowable amount and you pay 25% - protected by a $3,000 yearly catastrophic cap per family, after which CHAMPVA pays 100%.
- Once you are eligible for Medicare (at any age), you generally must keep both Medicare Part A and Part B to stay on CHAMPVA - Medicare pays first and CHAMPVA pays second.
- Free maintenance prescriptions through Meds by Mail (no copay, no deductible) if you have no other drug coverage, plus access to low-cost dental insurance through VADIP (Delta Dental / MetLife).
- Apply with VA Form 10-10d.
General figures, current as of December 2025 and reviewed each year. Your exact amount depends on your situation - always confirm on va.gov.
Who CHAMPVA is for
- CHAMPVA covers the spouse or child of a veteran who is rated permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected condition, or who died from a service-connected condition, or who died on active duty in the line of duty.
- The dependent must NOT be eligible for TRICARE. A remarried surviving spouse loses eligibility, but it can be reinstated if that later marriage ends by death or divorce.
- CHAMPVA is coverage for the family member, not the veteran - a P&T veteran uses VA health care, while the spouse and children use CHAMPVA.
What it costs - the real numbers
- The annual outpatient deductible is $50 per person, up to $100 per family each calendar year. It is waived for inpatient stays, hospice, most preventive services, and any prescriptions filled through Meds by Mail.
- After the deductible, CHAMPVA pays 75% of the CHAMPVA-allowable amount and you are responsible for the remaining 25%.
- Your total out-of-pocket is capped at a $3,000 catastrophic limit per family, per calendar year (this includes the deductible and your cost-shares). Once you hit it, CHAMPVA pays 100% of allowable charges for the rest of the year.
How CHAMPVA works with Medicare
- If you become eligible for Medicare - at 65, or earlier through disability - you generally must carry both Part A and Part B to keep CHAMPVA. A Medicare Advantage (Part C) plan satisfies this too.
- Medicare pays first, CHAMPVA pays second. For services both cover, CHAMPVA can pick up much of what Medicare leaves behind, such as the Medicare deductible and coinsurance - which is why the pair works so well together.
- One exception: if you are 65 or older and are not entitled to premium-free Part A, you are not required to buy Part B to keep CHAMPVA - just send the Social Security "Notice of Disallowance."
- CHAMPVA does not pay your Medicare Part B premium, and CHAMPVA drug coverage counts as creditable coverage, so you will not owe a Medicare Part D late penalty.
Free prescriptions by mail
- The Meds by Mail program fills your non-urgent maintenance medications with no copay, no deductible, and no cost - as long as you have no other prescription coverage, including Medicare Part D.
- You simply mail or fax your prescription; a 90-day supply arrives at your door. Urgent or short-term medications go through the OptumRx retail network instead.
Dental coverage for your family
- CHAMPVA itself does not include routine dental, but CHAMPVA beneficiaries can buy low-cost dental insurance through VADIP - the VA Dental Insurance Program.
- Coverage is offered by Delta Dental and MetLife, with plans covering exams, cleanings, fillings, crowns, dentures, and emergency care. You enroll directly with the carrier - Delta Dental at 855-460-3302 - not through a VA form.
- There is no open-season window - you can enroll any time - and VADIP premiums are usually far lower than a plan bought on the open market.
How to apply, and getting your card
- File VA Form 10-10d with proof of eligibility - your marriage certificate or the child's birth certificate, and a copy of your Medicare card if you have one.
- Once approved you receive a CHAMPVA card, and can then set up Meds by Mail and, if you want it, VADIP dental. Most claims are filed automatically by providers, and CHAMPVA processes them as the second payer after Medicare.
Your family’s complete benefit picture
You do not have to sort this out alone
Two things trip families up. First, CHAMPVA is easy to confuse with the veteran's own VA health care - remember it is coverage for the spouse and children. Second, once you turn 65 (or become Medicare-eligible early), you have to keep Medicare Part B to stay on CHAMPVA - dropping Part B to save on the premium can cost you your CHAMPVA entirely. If you are approaching Medicare age, talk it through before you make any changes.
Worth knowing
Before you file, keep this in mind
Two things trip families up. First, CHAMPVA is easy to confuse with the veteran's own VA health care - remember it is coverage for the spouse and children. Second, once you turn 65 (or become Medicare-eligible early), you have to keep Medicare Part B to stay on CHAMPVA - dropping Part B to save on the premium can cost you your CHAMPVA entirely. If you are approaching Medicare age, talk it through before you make any changes.
A clear path forward
Your step-by-step action plan
No rush and no pressure - but a little order helps. Applying is always free.
First
See what you qualify for
If you are the spouse or child of a veteran who is rated permanently and totally disabled - or who has died from a service-connected condition - CHAMPVA can cover your health care for the rest of your life. Most families have never heard of it, or assume it is only for the veteran. It is not. This is coverage for you, and once you are enrolled it can pay right alongside Medicare, fill your maintenance prescriptions by mail for free, and even open the door to low-cost dental insurance.
Gather
Collect your documents
Pull your DD-214 and any records that support your claim - we can help you figure out exactly what you need.
File it - always free
Apply for the benefit
Apply with VA Form 10-10d and supporting documents (marriage or birth records, and a copy of any Medicare card). Mail it to the VHA Office of Community Care in Denver, or apply online. We can help you confirm eligibility before you file.
Who to call & where to go
These are free, official VA lines. Have your Social Security number handy when you call.
CHAMPVA (Family Health)
Health coverage for eligible spouses and dependents.
MyVA411 - Main VA Line
Not sure who to call? Start here. One number for anything VA - they route you to the right office.
Rather have us handle it?
No phone tag, no hold music. Call our office and a real, VA-accredited person walks you through it - start to finish.
702-992-4883Download the forms
Not sure where to start?
Apply with VA Form 10-10d and supporting documents (marriage or birth records, and a copy of any Medicare card). Mail it to the VHA Office of Community Care in Denver, or apply online. We can help you confirm eligibility before you file.
More support for survivors & family
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Official VA links
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