CHAMPVA provider portal, phone and payer ID quick facts
| Provider portal | https://department.va.gov/vha/community-care/family-member-care/champva/ |
|---|---|
| Provider phone | 1-800-733-8387 |
| Claims payer ID | 84146 |
| Eligibility payer ID | VAHAC |
| ERA payer ID | 84146 |
| Timely filing | 1 year; hospital claims run from discharge |
| Prior auth route | Provider portal or policy document |
| Last reviewed | 2026-04-23 |
CHAMPVA at a glance
| Legal name | Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs |
|---|---|
| Also known as | VA CHAMPVA, Veterans Affairs CHAMPVA |
| Category | Government program |
| Parent organization | U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs |
| Claims payer ID | 84146 |
| Eligibility (270/271) payer ID | VAHAC |
| ERA (835) payer ID | 84146 |
| NAIC company code | Not established in this registry |
| States covered | Nationwide (50 states) |
| Members covered | ~2.0 million members |
| Provider portal | https://department.va.gov/vha/community-care/family-member-care/champva/ |
| Provider phone | 1-800-733-8387 |
Always verify claims-routing details against the member ID card and the payer's current EDI companion guide before submission.
Timely filing & appeals for CHAMPVA
VA's CHAMPVA filing instructions specify one year after care, or one year after discharge for hospital care. Use the calendar-year deadline and the appropriate start event; consult VA instructions for exceptions and other-insurance coordination.
| Submission type | Window |
|---|---|
| Initial claim reference | 1 year; hospital claims run from discharge |
| Out-of-network initial claim | Verify the member's plan and applicable out-of-network rules |
| Secondary / coordination of benefits | Verify the allowed window and start event; a primary EOB does not automatically restart filing |
| Corrected claim | Verify correction instructions; do not substitute an appeal deadline |
| Reconsideration / appeal | Use the applicable denial or decision notice and the process below |
Reconsideration and appeal routes
- CHAMPVA appeal requestFile within 365 days
Written appeal for a denied service, benefit, or eligibility determination within one year of the EOB or decision letter.
- Second VA reviewFile within 90 days
Second review request within 90 days of the initial appeal decision when the claimant still disagrees.
Source: CHAMPVA provider policy. Always confirm before disputing a TFL denial — payer policies are versioned and product-specific.
Prior authorization with CHAMPVA
Decision deadlines depend on the product, service and urgency. CMS-0057-F generally starts its decision-timeframe requirements in 2026 for Medicare Advantage, Medicaid and CHIP payers subject to the rule: seven calendar days for standard requests and 72 hours for expedited requests. Those requirements exclude drug authorizations and QHP issuers on the federally facilitated exchanges. Other plans, state rules and permitted extensions can differ. Check the applicable policy; a decision deadline is not a guarantee of approval.
CMS-0057-F decision-timeframe requirements and exclusions
CHAMPVA does not currently accept X12 278 prior-authorization transactions; submit via portal or fax. The procedures most commonly subject to prior authorization include advanced imaging, inpatient admissions, specialty pharmacy, and certain outpatient surgical procedures. Use the payer's authorization tool below to confirm requirements per CPT before scheduling a service.
CHAMPVA maintains a live prior-authorization code lookup tool that supersedes any cached list. Use the provider portal or the policy documents below to confirm the current PA list before rendering a service.
Top denial reasons for CHAMPVA
Per-payer denial benchmarks publish here once the QuickIntell anonymized ETL pipeline ingests sufficient CHAMPVA volume. Until then, see the broader CARC reference for industry-wide remediation guides.
Electronic claims, eligibility & ERA
| Transaction | Supported | Payer ID |
|---|---|---|
| 837P / 837I claims | Yes | 84146 |
| 270 / 271 eligibility | Yes | VAHAC |
| 278 prior authorization | No | Verify X12 278 routing separately |
| 835 ERA | Yes | 84146 |
Payer IDs vary by clearinghouse — confirm against your clearinghouse payer list (Availity, Change Healthcare/Optum, Waystar) before configuring submitter routing.
What revenue cycle teams should verify before submitting claims
- Use 84146 for CHAMPVA medical claims, but use VAHAC for real-time eligibility transactions when connecting through VA/Optum guidance.
- Verify eligibility before service because CHAMPVA has no provider network and eligibility depends on the beneficiary's VA family-member status and other insurance.
- Preauthorization is limited to specific categories such as dental care, organ and bone marrow transplants, and many mental health or substance use services.
Common denial and routing risks for this payer
- Submitting dental claims under the medical payer ID instead of the separate CHAMPVA dental routing.
- Missing other-health-insurance coordination when Medicare or another payer should process first.
- Appealing without the EOB or decision letter that starts the CHAMPVA appeal clock.
How QuickIntell supports this workflow
- Separate CHAMPVA medical, dental, eligibility, and remit routing rules in payer setup.
- Prompt staff to capture Medicare/OHI evidence before CHAMPVA claim submission.
- Track preauthorization and appeal deadlines from the EOB or decision-letter date, not from internal workqueue dates.
Source checks and remaining limits
The specific findings below were compared with public primary sources on . This is a partial source check, not a whole-page, clinical or legal review. It does not refresh the legacy review date above.
Initial claim deadline and start event
VA instructs filing within one year of care, or one year after hospital discharge for inpatient care. Preserve the one-year unit and the inpatient start event instead of assuming a universal 365-day clock from service.
Primary source for initial claim deadline and start event
Not checked in this pass: Appeal process; Payer IDs and transaction support; Enrollment totals; Every exception or retroactive-eligibility rule; QuickIntell outcomes.
Sources used for this guide
QuickIntell coverage for CHAMPVA
Frequently asked questions about CHAMPVA
Where is the CHAMPVA provider portal?
The CHAMPVA provider portal is available at https://department.va.gov/vha/community-care/family-member-care/champva/. Use it for eligibility checks, claim status, prior authorization workflows, appeals, and payer-specific routing updates. QuickIntell links to the payer's provider-facing portal as a reference and is not the official payer portal.
What is the timely filing limit for CHAMPVA?
VA's CHAMPVA filing instructions specify one year after care, or one year after discharge for hospital care. Use the calendar-year deadline and the appropriate start event; consult VA instructions for exceptions and other-insurance coordination.
What is the CHAMPVA payer ID?
The registry lists claims payer ID 84146 for CHAMPVA. Eligibility (270/271): VAHAC. ERA (835): 84146. Do not substitute a claims ID for an unverified transaction ID. Confirm the member ID card, product and clearinghouse payer list before submitting.
Does CHAMPVA accept electronic claims?
Yes — CHAMPVA accepts ANSI X12 837P and 837I electronic claims through standard clearinghouses. Real-time eligibility (270/271) is supported and X12 278 prior authorization is not currently supported.
How do I appeal a CHAMPVA denial?
Identify the product, state and reason for the decision before choosing a CHAMPVA dispute route. The listed starting route is CHAMPVA appeal request (File within 365 days). Written appeal for a denied service, benefit, or eligibility determination within one year of the EOB or decision letter. Verify the controlling notice and exceptions; reconsideration, appeal and external review are not always a mandatory sequence.
How long do CHAMPVA prior authorization approvals take?
Decision deadlines depend on the product, service and urgency. CMS-0057-F generally starts its decision-timeframe requirements in 2026 for Medicare Advantage, Medicaid and CHIP payers subject to the rule: seven calendar days for standard requests and 72 hours for expedited requests. Those requirements exclude drug authorizations and QHP issuers on the federally facilitated exchanges. Other plans, state rules and permitted extensions can differ. Check the applicable policy; a decision deadline is not a guarantee of approval.
What is the CHAMPVA provider phone number?
This registry lists 1-800-733-8387 as a provider contact for CHAMPVA. Confirm the service scope and the number on the member ID card; claim, eligibility and authorization inquiries may use different teams. Have the member ID, date of service and tax ID ready. The provider portal is https://department.va.gov/vha/community-care/family-member-care/champva/.
For revenue-cycle teams
Connect payer lookups to your revenue-cycle workflow
Do staff repeatedly move between payer references, eligibility checks, claim status and remittance follow-up?
- Keep this payer's official reference available to the team.
- Identify one repeated administrative task and measure its handling time.
- Evaluate the required access, exceptions and reviewer handoff before expanding automation.
CHAMPVA is an operational reference. Payer decisions remain with the payer. Confirm plan coverage, system access and supported actions during a scoped evaluation.
Download the illustrative workflow worksheet (PDF) · Explore the AI RCM evaluation toolkit · Model the workload and costs
Automate workflows around CHAMPVA requirements
Connect eligibility, prior authorization, pre-submission claim checks, and remittance routing in one governed workflow. Payer and plan configuration is confirmed during implementation.
Disclaimer
This page is operational reference for medical-billing professionals. It is not legal, clinical, or contractual advice. Payer policies change without notice — always verify against CHAMPVA's current published documents before submission. CPT® is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association.