The disability letter arrives, it says permanent and total, and nobody hands you a next step. This is that next step. One main form, a short stack of documents, and a choice of how to send it that matters more than most people realize.
Before you start: are you the one applying?
The veteran does not get CHAMPVA. The family does. It covers the spouse or child of a veteran the VA has rated permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected condition, and the surviving spouse or child of a veteran who died from a service-connected disability or who was rated permanently and totally disabled at death. You also must not be eligible for TRICARE.
Our eligibility guide covers the edge cases. If that is settled, keep reading.
The forms
| Form | What it is | Who needs it |
|---|---|---|
| VA Form 10-10d | The CHAMPVA application itself. | Everyone |
| VA Form 10-7959c | Other Health Insurance certification. | Anyone with other coverage, including Medicare |
| VA Form 10-7959a | A claim form, for care you already paid for. | Nobody at application time |
That third row causes real confusion, so it is worth stating plainly: 10-7959a is not part of applying. It comes later, and only if you pay a provider yourself.
What to attach
Which documents you need depends on who you are. The VA treats several of these as optional, but sending them up front is the difference between one round trip and three.
- Insurance card. Front and back of any other health insurance card or Medicare card.
- Spouse or surviving spouse. Marriage certificate, civil union certificate, or a common-law marriage affidavit. Listed as optional, and it speeds things up.
- Child. Birth certificate. Adoption papers if adopted. Proof of the parent's marriage if a stepchild.
- Child aged 18 to 23. A school certification letter proving enrollment. See our guide on children, because this one has its own rhythm and has to be redone every year.
- Age 65 or older without Medicare. A notice of disallowance from Social Security.
Three ways to send it, ranked
1. Online. Do this one. The VA takes CHAMPVA applications online, and it is both the fastest route and the only one that leaves you a record that something arrived.
2. Mail. Send the completed 10-10d and your documents to:
VHA Office of Community Care
CHAMPVA Eligibility
PO Box 137
Spring City, PA 19475
3. Fax. The route that eats paperwork. Faxing is offered, and it is where applications go to disappear. Understand why before you use it: faxes and mail land in a central mailroom, and the representative you reach on the phone cannot see that mailroom, cannot search it, and cannot tell you whether your document arrived. Families in the CHAMPVA community routinely report faxing the same form ten or fifteen times because every call produces the same answer, that nothing is on file.
When it seems like nothing arrived
If you have sent something and the phone line cannot confirm it, stop re-faxing. Repeating a fax adds nothing, because the problem was never the transmission.
Use Ask VA instead, the VA's online inquiry system at ask.va.gov. Submitting there creates a tracked inquiry with a written record and a written response, which a phone call does not. This is the single most repeated piece of practical advice in the CHAMPVA family community, and it exists precisely because the fax route has no receipt.
You can also call CHAMPVA at 800-733-8387, Monday through Friday, 8:05 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Eastern. Ask what is on file rather than whether your fax arrived; those are different questions and only the first one has an answer.
How long it takes
The VA does not publish a processing time for CHAMPVA applications, and any specific number you see quoted is somebody's personal experience rather than a standard. Reported experiences range from about ten days to the better part of a year.
What consistently separates the fast from the slow is not luck. It is whether the first submission was complete. A missing marriage certificate or an unsigned form does not generate a phone call asking for it; it generates a wait, then a letter, then another wait. Send everything the first time.
Coverage generally reaches back to your eligibility date once you are approved, so a slow approval is not the same as lost coverage. Keep the receipts for anything you pay in the meantime, because you can file those claims afterward.
Once you are approved
An approval letter and a CHAMPVA card arrive. Then comes the part this site exists for: the VA does not publish a directory of doctors who take CHAMPVA, so most families start cold-calling.
Start instead with your state and city or a specialty, then use the 20-second script in our provider guide to confirm with the billing office before you book.
Common questions
What form do I need to apply for CHAMPVA?
VA Form 10-10d is the application. Add VA Form 10-7959c if anyone being covered has other health insurance, including Medicare. Form 10-7959a is a claim form and is not part of applying.
Can I apply for CHAMPVA online?
Yes, and it is the fastest of the three routes. Mail and fax are also accepted, but online is the only one that leaves you a record that your application arrived.
Where do I mail a CHAMPVA application?
VHA Office of Community Care, CHAMPVA Eligibility, PO Box 137, Spring City, PA 19475. Note that claims go to a different address than applications.
I faxed my form and they say it is not on file. What do I do?
Stop re-faxing. Faxes go to a central mailroom that phone representatives cannot see or search, so calling will keep producing the same answer. Submit through Ask VA at ask.va.gov instead, which creates a tracked inquiry with a written response.
How long does CHAMPVA approval take?
The VA does not publish a processing time, and reported experiences range from about ten days to nearly a year. A complete first submission is the biggest factor you control. Coverage generally reaches back to your eligibility date once approved.
Find a doctor who takes CHAMPVA
Search our free directory of 3,388,151 Medicare-accepting providers, with real practice addresses and local phone numbers.
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Keep reading
- How to Find a CHAMPVA Provider Near You
- Can You Go to Any Doctor With CHAMPVA?
- How Much Does CHAMPVA Cost in 2026?
- The Pros and Cons of CHAMPVA, Honestly