VA medical, pharmacy copayments cancelled through Sept. 30, 2021
SUMMARY
Due to American Rescue Plan, copayments paid April 6, 2020, to present will be refunded
In March 2021, Congress passed the American Rescue Plan (ARP) and President Joe Biden signed it into law. As a result, all copayments for medical care and pharmacy services provided during the period of April 6, 2020, through Sept. 30, 2021, are canceled, along with any fees or interest.
VA wants you to know that supporting your financial well-being is one of our top priorities.
Key facts on how the ARP will impact Veterans:
- Cancel copayments for medical care and pharmacy services incurred on and after April 6, 2020.
- No assessment of copayments for medical care and pharmacy through Sept. 30, 2021.
- VA is working quickly to process those cancellations and refund Veterans who have been making payments on their accounts for medical services received during this period.
- Continue to send statements for information only through Sept. 30, 2021. These statements keep Veterans informed of their balance, which will be due when collections resume in October 2021.
- The mailing of patient statements and collection of copayments for health care and prescriptions will resume on Oct. 1, 2021.
Your VA health care continues
There will be no change in the quality and availability of VA health care during this time. You can schedule appointments and communicate with your providers in the same manner you have been.
If you are concerned about copayments you owe for health care and pharmacy provided prior to April 6, 2020, you an apply for a debt relief program.
For more information on financial relief, Veterans can visit https://www.va.gov/COMMUNITYCARE/revenue_ops/Financial_Hardship.asp or call the Health Resource Center at 866-400-1238, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET.
VA will work with all Veterans who apply for debt relief to determine the best possible solution.
For information on charges owed for care and prescriptions prior to April 6, 2020, debt relief options and/or account number information, Veterans can call the VHA Health Resource Center at 1-866-400-1238.
Resources for Veterans
Non-health debts and overpayments
This blog post excludes separate and exclusive information on non-health benefits debts and overpayments, which are handled by the Debt Management Center (DMC). This blog post duplicates that post, but excludes DMC content, focusing only on fees, copayments and debts on medical care and pharmacy services.
VHA Office of Community Care – Revenue Operations contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Follow @DeptVetAffairs on Twitter.