If you take patients under the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA), enroll in electronic funds transfer (EFT) to get your direct deposit payments. Getting your claims paid by EFT isn’t optional; it’s a federal requirement. 

With EFT, you get paid efficiently through secure payments while safeguarding Veterans’ family members’ access to benefits. 

Two steps to enroll in EFT: 

1. Visit the VA Financial Services Center Customer Engagement Portal.
2. Complete the Payment Account Setup web form to enroll. 
       a. To help you with your direct deposit enrollment, see this
            Vendor Web Form User Guide.
       b. For assistance with the webform, call 877-353-9791. 

Your payments will be automatically deposited into your bank account.

Make the move today. If you are not enrolled in EFT, your claims payments will be paused until your EFT enrollment is complete.

About CHAMPVA

CHAMPVA is a health care program for qualified spouses, widows(ers), and children of eligible Veterans. Through CHAMPVA, VA shares the cost of certain health care services and supplies with eligible beneficiaries. 

More information:

• CHAMPVA homepage
• CHAMPVA – Information for Providers webpage
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs webpage

Signed into law on August 10, 2022, the PACT Act marked one of the largest expansions of Veterans’ VA health care and benefits in history. As medical providers serving Veterans in your communities, you are uniquely positioned to help them learn about their new benefits.

This new webpage has PACT Act information and resources, including details about toxic exposure screenings and disability benefits, and printable resources for Veterans. We encourage you to use the prepared script cards, which are designed help you talk with Veterans and answer their questions.

Thank you for your continued support. For information on the PACT Act, visit VA’s website.

Every suicide is a tragedy. Preventing Veteran suicide is the top clinical priority for VA, and Veterans of all ages, including the older Veteran population, can be at risk of suicide. From 2020 to 2021, the suicide rate among Veterans aged 55 to 74 rose 7.4%.

While there is no single cause of suicide, understanding the combination of individual, community, and societal factors that lead to suicide can help you better care for older Veterans who may be at increased suicide risk. Those factors include loneliness, life-threatening illness or accidents, transitioning to or from long-term care, age-related mental health issues, and more.

This brochure shares more information on suicide risk in older Veterans and specific ways you can help, such as:

• Screening older Veterans for PTSD and lethal means access, especially if they have a history of trauma.
• Developing safety plans with older Veterans that include their families and caregivers.
• Encouraging Veterans who may be lonely to reach out to VA’s peer support groups or VA’s Compassionate Contact Corps.
• Ensuring your older Veteran patients are aware of the Veterans Crisis Line (If they are in crisis, they can dial 988, then press 1).

As a health care provider, you can help prevent suicide in older Veterans by proactively addressing and minimizing risk factors. You can find more data about older Veteran suicide in this brochure, and you can visit VA’s website for additional suicide prevention resources.

As a provider, you’ve likely seen new parents who are bombarded with advice all while getting to know their new, tiny human. Recommendations and guidelines for taking care of an infant can change over time, especially as new information comes to light.

Despite being a natural process, breast/chestfeeding may be difficult for some and may feel confusing and overwhelming. Plus, breast/chestfeeding is hard work. Thankfully, there is now greater awareness of associated health benefits you can share with your Veteran patients:

• It protects infants from short and long-term illnesses through antibodies in
  human milk.
• It lowers the infant’s risk of sudden infant death syndrome and later development of asthma, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.
• It provides the baby with human milk that can adjust month-to-month, day-to-day, or even throughout a single feeding to meet the baby’s nutritional demands.
• It decreases the lactating parent’s risk of breast and ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure.
• It boosts prolactin and oxytocin, feel-good hormones.

For some new parents, breast/chestfeeding as a sole source of their child’s nutrition may not be possible due to medical conditions or delivery circumstances. For parents who can feed their child solely with human milk, the cost of formula is avoided, but there are other expenses to consider, such as time away from work, added stress, or limited time for
self-care.

You and your care team(s) can support families in determining the best options for them and their baby.

We encourage you to share this information and VA resources with your Veterans who may have questions about breast/chestfeeding or need support. You can read this full story on the VA news website.

Raymond Yoshihiro Aka served in the Army during World War II from 1941 to 1947 as a language specialist. Aka was part of the Military Intelligence Service (MIS), a unit that played a crucial role in intelligence during the war.

After the war, Aka continued to serve in a civilian capacity, contributing to the postwar reconstruction of Japan. He was involved in projects like drafting of the Japanese Constitution, election reform and the establishment of the police reserve.

His expertise in linguistics and his work with the Japanese Defense Agency at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo were highly regarded. In recognition of his efforts to strengthen U.S.-Japanese relations, Aka was honored by the Japanese emperor with the Order of the Rising Sun, Golden Rays, a rare distinction.

Because of the classified nature of its mission, the MIS was largely unknown during the war and for decades after. In 2000, more than 50 years after the war, MIS soldiers were collectively recognized for their contributions with the Presidential Unit Citation, the highest honor given to a U.S. military unit.

Aka died in January 2006 at the age of 90 in Walnut Creek, California. He was buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

We honor his life of service. You can read Aka’s full story on the VA News website.

Nick Jones grew up in Overland Park, Kansas. He joined the Marine Corps in 2009, became a mortarman with the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, and deployed to Afghanistan as a scout sniper in 2012.

Jones went on to become a Marine Raider in the Marine Special Forces Command (MARSOC) and deployed to Iraq with MARSOC’s 2nd Marine Raider Battalion, Hotel Company, Team 2. During Operation Inherent Resolve, Jones returned to Iraq as third in command over a team of Eagles (U.S. ground combat Special Operations Forces) assigned to assist Iraqi partner forces.

In March 2020, Jones led his team during a combat operation in Iraq. When he heard Eagles from another group were down, he rushed toward intense gunfire. Coming across an injured French ally pinned by enemy fire, Jones helped him to safety. He pushed forward, and during his brave attempt to retrieve fallen comrades, enemy fire damaged major nerves in his right leg, ending his 11-year Marine Corps career.

Jones earned the Marine Corps Commendation Medal with a combat V for valor, a Purple Heart, and became only the eighth Marine Raider since the group’s founding in 2006 to earn the Navy Cross, the Navy’s second-highest award for valor.

In 2021, Jones created Talon’s Reach, a foundation to support Eagles suffering from physical, mental and moral injuries. He named it after his fallen best friend, Talon Leach. Jones explained, “I really want to show people that it’s okay to ask for help, that it’s okay to be hurting, to be struggling, mentally and physically.”

We honor his service. You can read Jones’ full story on the VA News website.

Thomas and Kevin Nelson, a father and son duo, both served in the Army and, at one point, their service overlapped. Their connection runs deeper than family, though. It is also built on an understanding of what it means to serve something greater than oneself. Their enduring bond and legacy continue at the National Veterans Golden Age Games.

Founded in 1985, the National Veterans Golden Age Games encourages Veterans ages 55 years and older to compete in different sports and activities, such as badminton, golf, and swimming. Through its “Fitness for Life” motto, the Golden Age Games demonstrate the valuable role sports, wellness, and fitness play in living an active and healthy lifestyle for Veterans of all ages.

Nelson has been a regular participant in the games for years, using the event to stay active and connect with fellow Veterans. As soon as his son turned 55, he urged him to participate in the games, too. For them, the games became more than just a chance to compete, it was an opportunity to strengthen their bond.

“It is a dream come true to compete with my son,” said Nelson. “We push each other to be the best we can be. I love the time we get to spend together. It’s a true blessing.”

The father-son duo trained together for months leading up to the games with their teammates in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The experience brought them closer, giving them a chance to share stories, reminisce about their time in the service and push each other to new heights.

To learn more, you can visit the National Veterans Golden Age Games webpage on VA’s website. Feel free to share with a Veteran who may be interested in participating in next year’s games. You can also read more about the Nelsons' story on the VA News website.