How to Pay Your VA Medical Bill Online or By Phone

As a veteran receiving healthcare services from the VA, you may be required to pay a copay for medical care or prescriptions. It’s important to pay your VA medical bills on time to avoid late fees, interest charges, or other collection actions. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll explain everything you need to know about reviewing, paying, and managing your VA medical copay bills.

Understanding Your VA Medical Bill

The VA will send you a monthly statement listing your copay charges for any medical services or prescriptions you received that month. This statement will include:

• Your account number – You’ll need this to make a payment
• Itemized list of charges – For medical visits, procedures, tests, etc.
• Prescription copays – For any prescription medications
• Total amount due
• Due date

It’s important to review your statement and verify that all the charges are accurate. If you find any errors, you can dispute the charges (more on that later).

When to Pay Your VA Medical Bill

When your bill comes due, you must pay the full amount due to avoid late fees and interest. The VA will charge interest and late fees after 30 days have passed. You can ask for financial hardship help if you can’t pay in full.

At 90 days past due the VA can take collection actions like withholding benefits payments to offset your debt. After 120 days, they are required to transfer the debt to the U.S. Treasury for further collection actions.

So make sure to pay on time to avoid headaches! The good news is, there are easy options to pay online, by phone, by mail or in person.

How to Pay Your VA Medical Bill Online

The easiest way to pay your VA medical bill is to do it online through Paygov. Here are the steps you need to take:

1. Go to www.pay.gov/public/form/start/25987221

2. Enter your VA account number from your statement

3. Enter the payment amount

4. Select payment method (bank account or debit/credit card)

5. Enter your payment information

6. Review and submit

Pay. Gov is a safe way to pay for things with the government, so you can enter your credit card information without worrying. After you send it, you’ll see a confirmation page. The payment will usually go through in one to two business days.

Paying Your VA Medical Bill by Phone

You can also pay your VA copay bill easily over the phone using these steps:

1. Call 888-827-4817

2. When prompted, enter your VA account number

3. Enter the payment amount when prompted

4. Provide your debit/credit card number or bank account information

5. Stay on the line to get a confirmation number for your payment

Just keep your bill handy so you can look up your account number and the amount you owe. The automated phone system is available 24/7 for your convenience.

Paying Your VA Medical Bill by Mail

If you prefer to pay by check or money order, follow these instructions:

1. Write your check or money order payable to “VA”

2. Write your VA account number in the memo line

3. Mail your payment and remittance stub to:

VA Department
PO Box 3978
Portland, OR 97208-3978

Be sure to mail your payment at least 7-10 days before the due date to ensure it arrives on time. Make sure your account number is clearly written on the payment to avoid processing delays.

Paying in Person at Your Local VA Facility

You can also bring your payment to the medical center or clinic that issued your bill. Here’s how it works:

• Go to the agent cashier’s office

• Provide your remittance stub and payment

• Get a receipt as proof of payment

This option allows you to pay by cash if needed. Just be sure to go during their office hours and bring your complete payment stub from your statement.

What to Do if You Can’t Afford to Pay

If you’re struggling financially and can’t afford your VA medical copays, you can request financial hardship assistance. The VA offers options like:

• Repayment plans – Pay over time in manageable installments
• Debt relief – Partial or full forgiveness of copay debts
• Copay exemptions – Waived copays based on financial need

To request assistance, contact your local VA health facility. Provide documentation of your financial status, like income statements, and they can help establish affordable options.

How to Dispute Errors on Your VA Medical Bill

If you believe your VA medical bill contains incorrect charges, it’s important to dispute the errors promptly. Here’s the process:

• Call 866-400-1238 to explain the dispute
• Or visit your local VA health facility billing office
• Identify the specific charges you are disputing
• Provide documentation to support your dispute

The VA will investigate and make corrections or issue credits as appropriate. Be sure to dispute errors quickly, before the payment due date.

Manage Your VA Medical Account Online

You can easily view your account balance, payment history, and billing statements through the My HealtheVet portal at www.myhealth.va.gov. After registering, you can:

• Check your current account balance
• View, download and print statements
• Make one-time payments
• Set up recurring payments
• Update payment methods
• View payment history

Accessing your account online makes it easy to monitor your VA medical bills and payments in one convenient place.

In Summary