{"id":7998,"date":"2024-11-29T19:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-29T19:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7998"},"modified":"2024-11-29T19:30:00","modified_gmt":"2024-11-29T19:30:00","slug":"medicare-open-enrollment-and-your-champva-eligibility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7998","title":{"rendered":"Medicare open enrollment and your CHAMPVA eligibility"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"tni-source-date\"><strong>Originally published:<\/strong> 2024-11-29T19:30:00+00:00. Historical source article: benefits, rules, amounts and deadlines may have changed. Check the official source for current information.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s open enrollment season. Now through Dec. 7, millions of Americans can select 2025 Medicare plans. If you\u2019re currently enrolled in the Civilian Health and Medical Program of VA (CHAMPVA) or may be eligible, your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicare.gov\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Medicare<\/a> status can impact your CHAMPVA benefits.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">CHAMPVA eligibility<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/COMMUNITYCARE\/programs\/dependents\/champva\/index.asp\" rel=\"noopener\">CHAMPVA<\/a> is a health care benefits program through VA that shares the cost of certain health care services and supplies with eligible beneficiaries. You may be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/COMMUNITYCARE\/programs\/dependents\/champva\/champva-eligibility.asp\" rel=\"noopener\">eligible<\/a> for CHAMPVA if you are a spouse, widow(er), or child of a service-connected, permanently and totally disabled Veteran, or they were when they died.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">You need Medicare Parts A &amp; B to be eligible for CHAMPVA<\/h2>\n<p>If you are eligible for Medicare for any reason at any age, you must have both Part A and Part B to be eligible for CHAMPVA. However, there are exceptions. For example, if you are over age 65 and were never eligible for premium-free Medicare Part A, you do not need Part B.\u00a0Call the CHAMPVA help line, 800-733-8387, or visit <a href=\"https:\/\/ask.va.gov\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Ask VA<\/a> for information about your specific situation.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tips about your CHAMPVA eligibility and Medicare<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If you already have Medicare, keep your Medicare Part B coverage. If you cancel Medicare Part B coverage, your eligibility for CHAMPVA benefits will end on the same day your Part B coverage ends.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>If you are a CHAMPVA beneficiary turning 65, make sure you enroll in Medicare Parts A and B. Send us a copy of your Medicare card and a CHAMPVA Other Health Insurance Certification Form (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.va.gov\/communitycare\/pubs\/forms.asp\" rel=\"noopener\">VA Form 10-7959c<\/a>).\u00a0We will send you a new CHAMPVA identification card with an extended expiration date.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Medicare Part D, the prescription drug plan, is optional. Consider instead using the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/COMMUNITYCARE\/programs\/dependents\/pharmacy\/meds-by-mail.asp\" rel=\"noopener\">Meds by Mail<\/a> program (you can only pick one). Meds by Mail provides maintenance medications at no charge to you (no premiums, no deductibles, and no co-payments) if you don\u2019t have any other prescription drug coverage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/COMMUNITYCARE\/programs\/dependents\/champva\/champva-apply.asp\" rel=\"noopener\">Apply for CHAMPVA<\/a> today in three steps: \u00a0<\/p>\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Fill out the application for CHAMPVA Benefits, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/find-forms\/about-form-10-10d\" rel=\"noopener\">VA Form 10-10d<\/a> (up to three beneficiaries per form).<\/li>\n<li>Complete the Other Health Insurance Certification, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/find-forms\/about-form-10-7959c\/\" rel=\"noopener\">VA Form 10-7959c<\/a> (fill this out for each beneficiary).\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"color: var(--awb-color8);font-family: var(--awb-typography4-font-family);font-size: 1.125rem\">Include a copy of your Medicare card (if you\u2019re already enrolled).<\/span><\/li>\n<li>If you or an eligible family member are age 65 or older and not entitled to Medicare, you must send documentation from the Social Security Administration that confirms you are not entitled to Medicare benefits under anyone\u2019s Social Security number.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Submit your forms by:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Fax to: 303-331-7809.<\/li>\n<li>Mail to: VHA Office of Integrated Veteran Care, CHAMPVA Eligibility, PO Box 137, Spring City, PA 19475.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">CHAMPVA and other health insurance<\/h2>\n<p>If you have any type of other health insurance (for example, Medicare, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Aetna), CHAMPVA will be the secondary payer. If you have more than one health insurance, CHAMPVA will pay after the other plans. CHAMPVA only pays first if you\u2019re enrolled in Medicaid, Indian Health Services, State Victims of Crime Compensation Program or CHAMPVA supplemental health insurance.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Support and resources<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Check out these <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PL2quV7hnnZ3kfJzS64p9xTA85sLI62lVe\" rel=\"noopener\">videos<\/a> to learn more about CHAMPVA.<\/li>\n<li>Call the CHAMPVA Help Line at 800-733-8387, available 8:05 a.m. \u2013 7:30 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.<\/li>\n<li>Submit a question online to Ask.VA.gov.<\/li>\n<li>Visit the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ssa.gov\/medicare\/sign-up\/part-b-only\" rel=\"noopener\">Social Security Administration<\/a> to enroll in Medicare Part B.<\/li>\n<li>Explore <a href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/family-and-caregiver-benefits\/health-and-disability\/\" rel=\"noopener\">health and disability benefits for families and caregivers<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr>\n<p class=\"tni-attribution\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/news.va.gov\/136600\/medicare-open-enrollment-and-your-champva\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs<\/a>. Its Veterans is an independent publication and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>To take advantage of CHAMPVA benefits, you must have Medicare Part B.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7998","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-u-s-veterans-health-care"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Medicare open enrollment and your CHAMPVA eligibility - Its Veterans<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"To take advantage of CHAMPVA benefits, you must have Medicare Part B.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7998\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Medicare open enrollment and your CHAMPVA eligibility - 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