BECAUSE YOU SERVED

 

As part of implementing the VA MISSION Act of 2018, VA has started offering urgent care services to provide Veterans with greater choice and access to timely, high-quality care. On June 6, 2019, the VA began offering eligible Veterans an urgent care benefit in the community. This new benefit provides another option for the treatment of minor injuries and illnesses. Urgent care providers treat injuries and illnesses that require immediate attention but are not life-threatening, such as influenza, minor burns, and skin infections.

There are two types of urgent care network locations: Retail and Urgent. Under VA’s urgent care benefit, Veterans must seek care from VA’s contracted network of urgent care/retail locations.

Retail locations include a walk-in health clinic, other than an office, urgent care facility, pharmacy, or independent clinic located within a retail operation. Reasons why you would seek care at a retail location include treatment of an uncomplicated illness such as a sore throat or earache. [Editor’s note: The Minute Clinic at the CVS in Davidson is the closest local option for eligible Davidson veterans.]

Urgent locations include an office or a clinic, whose purpose is to diagnose and treat illness or injury for unscheduled, ambulatory patients seeking immediate medical attention (aside from emergency rooms). Reasons why you would seek care at an urgent location include treatment of more pressing illnesses or injuries that are not life-threatening, like splinting, casting, lacerations, or wound treatment.

This benefit is considered open access, allowing Veterans to access urgent care within VA’s community care network and receive care without prior authorization from VA. The benefit started in June 2019.

VA will pay for or fill prescriptions resulting from your urgent care visit. The urgent care provider may write a medically necessary prescription for up to a 14-day supply. Veterans will be able to fill their prescription at any in-network pharmacy with Express Scripts.

The construction of the urgent care network is well underway with thousands of locations nationwide, and it will be fully complete by July 15, 2019. To ensure the most optimal user experience, you will continue to see refinements to this tool.

To check eligibility, call 1-833-4VETNOW (1-833-483-8669). Before seeking care, veterans should download the documents at this site.

For a complete list of services that are covered, please visit https://missionact.va.gov.