Longer authorizations are now available for eligible Community Care referrals

If you receive specialty care through the VA Community Care Network, you may no longer need a new authorization every few months for certain types of ongoing treatment.

VA now provides 12-month authorizations for 30 standardized types of Community Care, allowing eligible veterans to continue treatment for a full year before another VA authorization is required. VA News

Does this apply to me?

It may if VA has referred you to an outside Community Care provider for one of the covered specialties.

The 30 types of care include:

Cardiology · Dermatology · Endocrinology · Gastroenterology · Mental Health Outpatient · Addiction Psychiatry · Addiction Medicine · Family & Couples Psychotherapy · Neurology · ENT · Nephrology · Oncology & Hematology · Orthopedics · Pain Management · Podiatry · Pulmonary Care · Rheumatology · Sleep Medicine · Urology · Eye Care, and several additional specialty services. VA News

What changed?

Previously, some Community Care specialty referrals were reevaluated every 90 to 180 days.

For the covered services, new eligible authorizations can now provide 12 full months of treatment at VA expense before reauthorization is required. VA News

That can mean fewer interruptions in ongoing treatment and less time dealing with repeat authorization paperwork.

Important: This does not automatically authorize everything

Your VA authorization still determines: Which provider you can see, What care is authorized, and How long or how many visits are covered

VA specifically advises veterans to keep track of their authorization because services outside it may not be covered. Veterans Affairs

Do I need to do anything?

If you're already receiving Community Care for one of these specialties, check your authorization letter or contact your local VA Community Care office to see how long your current authorization lasts.

If your authorization is approaching expiration, don't simply assume it automatically became a 12-month authorization.

Why this matters

For veterans receiving ongoing specialty care outside VA, this can mean:

Fewer repeat referrals. Fewer authorization interruptions. More continuity with the same provider.

Sometimes less bureaucracy really is the entire update.

Verify It Yourself

VA — Yearlong Community Care Authorizations for 30 Services

VA — How Community Care Referrals and Authorizations Work

Announced: August 4, 2025

Last verified: October 6, 2026