Your VA news on COVID-19
The Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) is putting safety measures in place to handle the ever-increasing demand that the COVID-19 pandemic is placing on VA health-care facilities. Stay updated on VA’s efforts at va.gov/coronavirus.
VA has released information regarding access to VA facilities and what to do if you are exhibiting symptoms of the coronavirus.
Call before you go. If you’re currently experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, call your VA medical center or 1-844-MYVA311 (844-698-2311). You may also login to My HealtheVet, myhealth.va.gov, and send a secure message. VA health-care facilities have been testing veterans who meet the testing criteria provided by the CDC.
Screening questions. Upon arriving at your VA, all patients will be screened for flu-like symptoms.
VA health appointment. For routine appointments, VA recommends using telehealth (phone or video) for a scheduled appointment. You can also cancel and reschedule your appointment for a later date. If you have a non-urgent elective procedure scheduled, VA may contact you to cancel or reschedule for a later date. Urgent and emergent procedures will continue as scheduled.
Change in-person appointment to a telehealth visit. To do this, send a message to your provider through My HealtheVet. Or use the VA appointments tool to request a telehealth appointment online, va.gov/health-care/schedule-view-va-appointments/. According to the VA, this is only available for some types of health services.
Other VA news on COVID-19
- VA is offering re-employment for retired VA health-care staff. Interested retired physicians, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory technicians, respiratory therapists and other medical professionals to register online at blogs.va.gov/VAntage/?s=covid-19.
VA officials are promising expedited hiring practices and dual compensation waivers for potential recruits so that they don’t have to give up federal retirement benefits in order to start assisting at department medical centers.
- Student veterans will continue to receive their GI Bill benefits under bill S.3503, which President Trump signed into law March 21. According to VA, this law enables VA to continue providing the same level of education benefits to students having to take courses online due to the COVID-19 outbreak. It also continues to provide GI Bill student veterans with the same monthly housing allowance until Dec. 21, or until in-person classes are resumed.
- Effective as of March 23, VA announced that “committal services and the rendering of military funeral honors will discontinue until further notice” for the safety of veterans, their families and VA staff in response to the coronavirus.
Immediate family members of no more than 10 of the deceased may witness the interment if requested.
Families of deceased veterans who still wish to continue with interment may schedule a committal service for a later date by calling the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at (800) 535-1117.