VA & Insurance
Your benefits, in plain language.
VA wait times are real. While you wait, here is how to use the coverage you already earned and which treatment centers actually take it.
Know what each card in your wallet actually does.
Most veterans are eligible for more than one of these. Stacking them is allowed, and often the fastest way around a long VA wait.
Most veterans with qualifying service and discharge status.
Inpatient and outpatient mental health, substance use disorder treatment, medications, and residential rehab at VA facilities. No premium for most enrolled veterans; copays depend on priority group.
Apply or check enrollment at VA.govEnrolled VA veterans when the VA cannot provide timely or local care.
Mental health and SUD treatment at private, non-VA providers in the Community Care Network. Eligibility triggers include drive time over 30 minutes for primary or mental health, or wait time over 20 days. VA pays the provider directly.
Community Care eligibility detailsActive duty, Guard and Reserve on orders, retirees, and eligible family members.
Outpatient therapy, inpatient psychiatric care, residential SUD treatment, intensive outpatient (IOP), partial hospitalization (PHP), and medication-assisted treatment. Network and authorization rules vary by plan (Prime, Select, For Life).
TRICARE mental health benefitsSpouses, surviving spouses, and children of veterans rated permanently and totally disabled or who died from a service-connected condition.
Cost-sharing for outpatient mental health, inpatient psychiatric, and SUD treatment from any provider who accepts Medicare or CHAMPVA. Not the same as VA care.
CHAMPVA overviewCombat veterans, MST survivors, bereaved families, and others regardless of VA enrollment or discharge status (with limited exceptions).
Free, confidential individual and group counseling. Records are kept separate from your VA medical record.
Find a Vet CenterFour steps. No jargon.
Confirm your VA enrollment
Log in at VA.gov or call 1-877-222-8387. If you are not enrolled, apply online or at any VA medical center. Combat veterans within 10 years of discharge usually qualify with no income test.
Ask for a Community Care referral
If your local VA cannot see you within 20 days for mental health or 28 days for specialty care, you can request a Community Care referral. Use the phrase: 'I am requesting Community Care under the MISSION Act for wait-time eligibility.'
Find an in-network provider
Search VA Community Care providers, TRICARE network, or call a center below directly. Confirm they accept your specific authorization before your first appointment.
While you wait, use what is free now
Vet Centers, the Veterans Crisis Line (988 then press 1), peer groups in the Foxhole forum, and the national centers listed below cost nothing and do not require a VA referral.
Addiction and mental health, in network or free.
These programs are nationally known and either bill VA Community Care, accept TRICARE, or are free for qualifying veterans. Always confirm current acceptance with the provider and your VA referral coordinator before admission.
Cohen Veterans Network
Focus. Mental health (PTSD, anxiety, depression, family)
Coverage. Free for post-9/11 veterans and their families regardless of discharge status; bills TRICARE and other insurance when applicable
20+ clinics nationwide and telehealth
Wounded Warrior Project — Warrior Care Network
Focus. PTSD, TBI, military sexual trauma
Coverage. Free 2 to 3 week intensive outpatient programs for post-9/11 veterans, including travel and lodging
Emory, Mass General, Rush, UCLA Operation Mend
Heroes' Mile
Focus. Addiction and dual-diagnosis treatment for veterans
Coverage. In-network with VA Community Care, TRICARE, and most major private insurers
Deland, Florida — accepts veterans nationwide
Warriors Heart
Focus. Addiction, PTSD, mild TBI, chemical dependency
Coverage. Accepts VA Community Care referrals, TRICARE, and private insurance
Bandera, Texas
Boulder Crest Foundation
Focus. Combat-related PTSD and post-traumatic growth
Coverage. Free Warrior PATHH program for combat veterans and first responders
Virginia and Arizona, with local Warrior PATHH affiliates
Give an Hour
Focus. Free mental health counseling
Coverage. Volunteer licensed providers offering pro-bono therapy for veterans and families
Nationwide directory
Headstrong Project
Focus. PTSD, MST, anxiety, depression
Coverage. Free, confidential, stigma-free therapy for post-9/11 veterans and families
20+ cities and nationwide telehealth
Eluna Network / Camp Erin & Camp Mariposa
Focus. Children of veterans facing grief or family addiction
Coverage. Free programs for military and veteran families
Nationwide camps
VA Substance Use Disorder Programs
Focus. Detox, residential rehab, MAT, outpatient SUD
Coverage. Direct VA care for enrolled veterans; no out-of-pocket cost for most
Every VA Medical Center; find local program via VA facility locator
Foxhole is not affiliated with the VA or any listed provider. Listings are informational and not a clinical referral. Verify network status and current programs before traveling or admitting.
While you wait, you do not wait alone.
The forum is open right now. Anonymous, free, peer-led. Built for the in-between by people who have been there.