All VA medical facilities and clinics will remain fully operational, including:
- Inpatient Care
- Outpatient Care
- Prescriptions
- Surgeries
- Dental Treatment
- Extended Care
- Mental Health Care
- Nursing Home Care
- Special Health Care Services for Women Veterans
- Vet Centers
- Military Sexual Trauma Counseling
- Readjustment Counseling Services (Vet Centers)
- Interments in National Cemeteries will continue, but may be on a reduced schedule. Contact NCA’s Scheduling Office at 1-800-535-1117
- My HealtheVet – All Services
- NCA will process applications for headstones, markers, medallions
- Insurance Processing
- Home Loan Processing
- NCA will notify VBA of death for benefit actions
- VBA Call Centers will be operational except for education
- Acquisitions Logistics Center will accept and fill prosthetics supply orders
- Office of Small and Disadvantaged Small Businesses
- Veterans Crisis Line Services to Veterans not impacted by potential lapse in appropriations
- Claims processing and payments in the compensation, pension, education, and vocationalrehabilitation programs are anticipated to continue through late October. However, in the event of a prolonged shutdown, claims processing and payments in these programs would be suspended when available funding is exhausted Suspended National Phone Numbers
Operational National Phone Numbers for Veterans
- VA National Call Center: 1-800-827-1000
- All VA Medical Facilities & Services: (411 or http://www2.va.gov/directory/guide/division_flsh.asp?dnum=1 )
- Coaching into Care Call Center for Family Members of Veterans: 1-888-823-7458
- Debt Management Center: (Collection of Non- Medical Debts): 1-800-827-0648
- Homeless Prevention Line:1-877-4AID VET (877-424-3838)
- Home Loans: 1-888-244-6711
- Insurance: 1-800-669-8477
- Mammography Helpline:1-888-492-7844
- Meds by Mail: 1-888-385-0235 (or) 1-866-229-7389
- National Caregiver Support Line: 1-855-260-3274
- NCA’s Scheduling Office:1-800-535-1117
- Veterans Crisis Line:1-800-273-TALK (8255)
- Women Veterans Call Center: 1-855-VA-WOMEN (1-855-829-6636)
- Federal Service for the Deaf: 711
- Vet Center Combat Call Center: 1-877-WAR-VETS
- Discrimination: 1-888-737-3361
- Denver Acquisition and Logistics Center: 1-303-273-6200
- Health Benefits Customer Service: 1-877-222-VETS (8387).
- CHAMPVA: 1-800-733-8387
- Children of Women Vietnam Veterans; Foreign Medical Program; Spina Bifida Health Care Program: 1-877-345-8179 (or) 1-888-820-1756
Services to Veterans impacted by potential lapse in appropriations
- VBA Regional Offices public contact services will not be available
- No decisions on claims appeals or motions will be issued by the Board of Veterans Appeals
- Freedom of Information Act queries will not be processed
- Privacy Act requests will not be processed
- VA’s homepage (www.va.gov) will be updated intermittently
- VA’s main and hospital Social Media Web sites will be updated intermittently (Facebook,Twitter, Blog, etc.)
- Recruiting and hiring of Veteran job applicants will cease with the exception of the Veterans Health Administration
- Presidential Memorial certificates will not be processed
- Interments at National Cemeteries will be conducted on a reduced schedule
- Overseas Military coordinator operations will be suspended
- VA Secretary correspondence with Veterans and VSOs suspended
- Outreach and Public Awareness Activities
- VetSuccess on Campus suspended
- Vocational Rehabilitation and Education Counseling will be limited
- VBA will not be able to continue overtime for claims processors
- Claims processing and payments in the compensation, pension, education, and vocational rehabilitation programs are anticipated to continue through late October. However, in the event of a prolonged shutdown, claims processing and payments in these programs would be suspended when available funding is exhausted
Suspended National Phone Numbers
- Billing Issues: 1-866-842-4357
- Education Benefits: 1-888-442-4551
- Consumer Affairs: 202-461-7402
- Income Verification and Means Testing:1-800-929-8387
- Inspector General Hotline: 1-800-488-8244
- Special Issues: Gulf War/Agent Orange/Project SHAD/Mustard Agents and Lewisite/Ionizing Radiation 1-800-749-8387
- Status of Headstones and Markers:1-800-697-6947
- Whistle Blower Reprisal: 1-800-872-9855
VA call centers and hotlines will cease to function, including:
- VBA Education Call Center 1-888-442-4551
- Inspector General Hotline suspended 1-800-488-8244
- Consumer Affairs (consumeraffairs@va.gov; VA’s home page “Contact Us” function and 202-461-7402 will be suspended)
- Congressional Liaison Veterans queries suspended
In the event of a prolonged shutdown, VA will continue to review and update its plan in conjunction with the applicable legal requirements and circumstances. Full Contingency Plan located at http://www.va.gov/opa/docs/VA_Contingency_Plan_Document_20130927.pdf