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VA Health Chat Is Now Available Across the U.S.

Easily connect with VA staff online 

Older man wearing Vietnam Veteran hat sits on white couch with a tablet device in hand.

The VA Health Chat app lets Veterans in all 18 Veterans Integrated Services Networks (VISNs) easily connect with VA staff online. You can use the app to chat with a real person to ask questions about your health concerns. Here are some times when VA Health Chat can help:

  • You feel ill and are unsure about going to an emergency room or clinic.

  • You have an adverse reaction to a medication.

  • You have questions about your VA prescriptions.

  • You need medical advice for a non-life-threatening injury or illness, like these:

    • Cold, congestion, or cough

    • Allergies

    • Earache

    • Fever

    • Rash

    • Sore throat

    • Stomachache

VA Health Chat makes it easy to connect with VA staff without having to travel to a VA facility. The app also doesn’t require a video connection to use. VA Health Chat is a great option if any of these apply to you:

  • Mobility issues or health conditions make it difficult to visit a VA facility.

  • You live in a rural area and don’t have easy access to a VA facility.

  • You don’t always have the internet bandwidth needed for a video telehealth visit.

  • You don’t have access to a quiet, private space for a video visit.

How to use VA Health Chat

You can access VA Health Chat on the VA App Store or download it on the Apple App Store or Google Play. 

For security reasons, you’ll need to sign in to the app with VA-supported credentials. You may use your Login.gov or ID.me account. If you don't have one, you can create a Login.gov or ID.me account.

When you sign in to VA Health Chat, a list of options will appear. We call these channels. Choose the channel that best meets your health care needs. Channel availability varies by location. You may see some or all of these channels:

  • Clinical Triage: Get medical advice for non-life-threatening injuries or illnesses.

  • Pharmacy Support: Renew, refill, or ask questions about VA prescriptions.

  • Scheduling and Administration: Schedule VA appointments or ask other administrative questions.

  • Virtual Clinic Visit (Urgent Care): Get medical advice for injuries or illnesses needing immediate care but not serious enough to need an emergency room visit.

VA Health Chat availability

VA Health Chat is available to Veterans in all 18 VISNs, including U.S. territories. However, it is not available in some parts of VISN 16. 

In VISN 16, Veterans who primarily receive care at VA medical centers and associated clinics in the following areas do not yet have access to VA Health Chat:

  • Little Rock and North Little Rock, Arkansas

  • New Orleans and Shreveport, Louisiana

  • Biloxi and Jackson, Mississippi

VA is working to expand Veteran access to VA Health Chat in these locations.

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