Traveling Veteran Services

Traveling Veteran Responsibilities

Prior to traveling:
• Inform VA primary care team of dates of travel, temporary address, phone number
• Discuss any specific health concerns with your care team

For non-urgent care during travel:
• Contact home VA primary care team for routine care needs, team will contact facility Traveling Veteran Coordinator, if unable to manage needs virtually.
• Facility Traveling Veteran Coordinator will work to coordinate care with the alternate VA of Veteran’s choice, should a face-to-face appointment or lab/radiology tests be needed.

Urgent/Emergency care during travel

Urgent Care while traveling:

• Use the VA Locator to search for nearest VA-contracted UC in your area Find a VA Facility

• Additional VA Urgent Care information (including eligibility and possible co-pays).

Emergency Care while traveling:

• During a medical emergency, you should immediately seek care at the nearest emergency department (ED).  Go to nearest appropriate VA or community ED.

• Use the VA Locator to search for nearest VA-Emergency Dept in your area.

• If receiving care at Non-VA facility; Inform the emergency care provider to report your emergency treatment to the VA Centralized Emergency Care Reporting Center as soon as possible after your treatment starts by using:

The VA Emergency Care Reporting portal or call the VA 72-Hour Notification Hotline; 844-72HRVHA 844-724-7842).

Learn more about non-VA Emergency Care

• Facilitate enrollment of Veterans into local system and transition if re-locating
• Efficiently communicate with other VA’s and Traveling Veteran Coordinators to assist with coordination of  care to be provided within the VA Health Care System
• Communicate with Preferred VA any care requests and needed care upon return home
• Receiving and forwarding requests from Preferred VA
• Local Houston VA 24 hour VA RN advice line for any new medical concerns: 1-713-794-8985 Option 2.

• Veterans must provide a temporary address while traveling to ensure timely delivery of medications
• Veterans should check to be sure they have enough medications/refills to last entire length of trip
• Alternate VA may dispense a ONE TIME 15-day supply of some active medications
• Alternate VA will not dispense controlled substances even if there are refills remaining
• If Veteran receives new prescriptions while traveling, contact the local VA to determine how they can be filled

Contact the Houston Pharmacy with questions about your prescriptions

VA Health Connect-Pharmacy 

Phone: 713-794-8985
Toll free: 800-639-5137
Hours: Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. CT

Pharmacy locations

There are three pharmacy locations within the VA Houston health care system. At the Houston VA, and at our community based outpatient clinics in Beaumont and Lufkin. Our remaining community based outpatient clinics have a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist to assist Veterans.

Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center

Outpatient Pharmacy
Main building
First floor, near the pizza shop
Map of Houston campus
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. CT
Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. CT

Beaumont VA Outpatient Clinic

Pharmacy
3240 Veterans Circle
Beaumont, TX 77707
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. CT

Charles Wilson VA Outpatient Clinic (Lufkin)

Pharmacy
2206 North John Redditt Drive
Lufkin, TX 75904
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. CT

VA Health Connect-Pharmacy 

Phone: 713-794-8985
Toll free: 800-639-5137
Hours: Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. CT

For additional information about Houston VA pharmacy services, please visit Pharmacy | VA Houston Health Care | Veterans Affairs

Benefits program for U.S. Veterans who are residing or traveling abroad and have VA-rated, service-connected disabilities.

For assistance regarding foreign health care services contact:

VHA Office of Community Care
Foreign Medical Program
PO Box 469061
Denver, CO 80246-9061
303-331-7590

VA & Urgent Care Locator:
www.va.gov/find-locations

Foreign Medical Program (FMP) (va.gov)

Travel Benefits/Reimbursements

Veterans with questions regarding travel benefits, eligibility or reimbursement for travel should contact the Travel Benefits Office at .

Travel Lodging Requests

Veterans in need of coordinating patient lodging should contact the Patient Lodging Department directly at .

Transportation Needs

Veterans in need of transportation services should contact the Veterans Transportation Services at or or ext. 224839.