After you apply for health care benefits 
After you ve applied for VA health care , we ll send you a letter in the mail to let you know if your application has been approved. Find out when to expect your letter and what to do next. 

When will I hear back about my application? 
If more than a week has passed since you gave us your application and you haven t heard back , please don t apply again. Call our toll - free hotline at 877 - 222 - 8387. 

If you approve my application, what do I do next? 
Wait for your welcome call from VA . We ll call you to welcome you to the VA health care program, help you with scheduling your first doctor s appointment, and answer any questions you may have about your health care benefits. Read your Veterans Health Benefits Handbook. We ll send this to you by mail. Your handbook will explain your specific health care benefits based on the priority group we assigned you, how much you ll pay in copays, and other helpful information. Download a sample handbook PDF Get your Veterans Health Identification Card VHIC. This is the card you ll use for ID and to check in at your VA health care appointments. To get your card , contact your local VA medical center and speak with the enrollment coordinator. Ask the coordinator to help you arrange to have your picture taken for your new VHIC. Or , you can request your VHIC at your next VA health care appointment. Learn more about the VHIC Find a VA medical center near you Go to your first VA doctor s appointment. You may have requested a doctor s appointment when you applied either in person or on your application. If you did , we ll set up an appointment for you with a VA doctor or provider and send you a notice with your appointment time in the mail. If you didn t ask for a doctor s appointment when you applied , we ll help you set up your appointment during your welcome call. 

Other questions you may have 
Contact your local VA medical center or clinic and ask for : The enrollment coordinator 

user: What happens after I apply for health care benefits? 

assistant: After you have applied for VA health care, we will send you a letter in the mail to let you know if your application has been approved. 

user: I am not a veteran, but am trying to get information for my husband. 

user: What happens if he only wants his VA health care for a short amount of time to deal with one issue with one doctor and then does not desire to keep the benefit? 

assistant: You always have the right to appeal our decision at any time. 

user: Who else can I go to with any questions on my husband's health care benefit? 

assistant: You can contact your local VA medical center or clinic and ask for the enrollment coordinator or the urgent care clinic.  You can also seek help from the emergency room. 

user: What else will he have the ability to do once he is signed up? 

assistant: He can manage his VA health and benefits online, refill prescriptions, send secure messages to health care providers and check the status of any disability or pension claims. 

user: What is the next step after my husband's approval? 

assistant: You will receive a Veteran's Health Handbook that you need to read.  

user: What is the website that he could use? 

assistant: That is VA.gov