Traveling Veteran Program

Diane Munson, RN BSN

Traveling Veteran Coordinator

VA Illiana Healthcare Center

Phone: 217-554-4311

The Travel Coordinator can

• Facilitate enrollment of Veterans into travel site’s VA system and
• Assist with transition if relocating permanently
• Share data and care needs with other VA sites
• Help with setting up care at the other VA sites 
• Manage consults for care

Non-Urgent Outpatient Care

• Call your home PACT team for your regular care needs. The team will set up a consult for you
• The coordinator will set up care for you at a VA site near your travel location

Let your primary doctor know 6-8 weeks before you plan on traveling within the US. 

Planning overseas travel? Please contact the Foreign Medical Program for more information. ( See contact information under Foreign Medical Program section.)

Ask for a Traveling Veterans Coordinator Consult. 

Inform your Patient Assigned Care Team: 

• Must provide complete travel destination street address, not just city. Do not use a PO Box.
• Dates for travel and return date. 
• Discuss  your needs: vaccines, lab work, injections, and special consults. 

• Updated Mailing Address-your medications will be mailed to this address. 
• Make sure you have enough medication before you travel. 
• Refill your medications at your home VA, 10-14 days before you run out of medication 

• Your primary doctor at your home VA will makes sure your care does not stop while you are traveling. Your doctor will be updated on your care. 

You can receive care at any VA site without a local primary care team, even when your primary doctor is out of state. 

• Labs 
• Vaccines 
• Nurse’s visits 

• Medication refills if you have an active prescription 
• Care in any VA walk in clinic

If you have an emergency while you are away: 

• Call 911 
• Go to the closest Emergency Room 
• Remember to let the ER staff know that you are a Veteran, and the VA should be notified. 
• Veteran or family-please notify the VA in 72 hours at 844-724-7842 (24 hours/7days) 

If you need to visit a Community Urgent Care while you are away: 

• Call the Urgent Care Eligibility line at   888-901-6609 (24 hours/7days) 
• Call before you go. They will inform you of the nearest Urgent Care that accept VA payment.
• Go to the designated Urgent Care that accept VA payment. 
• Remember to let the hospital know that you are a Veteran, the VA should be notified and records sent to your home VA facility to be included in your VA record. 

Outpatient Pharmacy

Lobby: Monday-Friday 8:30 am-5:00pm

Phone: 

Phone Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 am-5:00pm

• The VA Pharmacy in an alternate location will not supply controlled medication
• Veteran must give an address for the trip so their medication can be delivered to that address
• Veterans must check that they have enough medications before they leave for their trip
• Please check with your home VA for refills prior to presenting at the nearest VA.
• If you run out or lose your medication, a VA site near you should be able to give you a one-time small supply (10-14 days)

For eligible Veterans living or traveling abroad, VA offers medical services through the Foreign Medical Program (FMP). Through this program, FMP will pay for health care services, medications, and durable medical equipment for service-connected conditions and conditions associated with and held to be aggravating a service-connected condition. VA may authorize foreign medical services for any condition if you are participating in the VA Vocational Rehabilitation Program (Title 38, U.S. Code, Chapter 31). You can learn more here.

• Benefits program for U.S. Veterans living or traveling outside the United States
• Must have a service-connected disability

Contact the VHA Office of Community Care

Foreign Medical Program
PO Box 469061
Denver, CO 80246-9061
Phone: 303-331-7590

To find a VA facility, visit:

    https://www.va.gov/find-locations

Then enter:

• Zip code where you are traveling
• Select the service  facility type (VA or Community care)
• Select blue search button (right side)

Click on the blue title of the facility and this will open the facility’s web page.

VA  Finder will provide Veterans with the following information:

• VA hospitals and Outpatient (CBOC) facilities
• Community Care VA approved Urgent care and ER/Hospitals
  • Facility address
  • Phone numbers
  • Days and times of operation
  • Services offered
• Directions to the facility
• Other VA services