VA Foreign Medical Program (FMP): 2026 Coverage and How to File

• What Is the Foreign Medical Program?
• What FMP Covers — and What It Doesn’t
• A Current Caution: Panama Provider Fraud
• How Reimbursement Actually Works
• The One VA Clinic Outside the U.S.
• How to Register and File a Claim
• Frequently Asked Questions

Moving abroad, retiring overseas, or simply traveling for an extended stretch shouldn’t mean losing access to care for a service-connected condition. VA’s Foreign Medical Program exists exactly for this — yet it’s genuinely one of the least-known benefits VA offers, despite a population of more than 6 million veterans with a rated service-connected disability who could potentially use it.

What Is the Foreign Medical Program?

The Foreign Medical Program (FMP), authorized under 38 U.S.C. § 1724 and implemented through 38 CFR § 17.35, reimburses veterans for medically necessary care received outside the United States for a VA-rated service-connected disability. It works on a fee-for-service, indemnity-style model: in most cases, you choose any licensed health care provider in the country where you’re living or traveling, pay them directly, and then submit a claim to VA for reimbursement.

A few things make FMP genuinely unusual compared to most VA health benefits:

• You don’t need to be enrolled in VA health care to register for or use FMP.
• No referral is required, and no prior authorization is needed for most services before you receive care.
• You choose your own provider — there’s no network to stay within, since you’re paying out of pocket and seeking reimbursement afterward.

What FMP Covers — and What It Doesn’t

This is the single most important thing to understand before relying on FMP: it is not general health insurance for veterans living overseas. Coverage is tightly scoped to care that’s medically necessary and connected to your VA-rated service-connected disability — an unrelated illness, a routine physical unconnected to any rated condition, or elective care outside that scope generally isn’t reimbursable.

Within that scope, FMP does cover a meaningful range:

• Treatment and services for your service-connected condition, from any licensed provider
• FDA-approved prescription medications related to that condition
• COVID-19 vaccines, with the vaccine manufacturer’s name documented on your itemized statement

Understanding this scope upfront is what makes FMP a genuinely useful, reliable benefit rather than a source of frustrating denials — veterans who assume it works like general travel health insurance are the ones most likely to submit a claim that gets rejected.

A Current Caution: Panama Provider Fraud

VA’s own FMP page currently carries an active notice worth knowing about if you’re in or considering care in Panama: VA recently suspended a number of health care providers there as part of a long-term fraud investigation, and has notified veterans who may have been affected. If you’ve received FMP care in Panama, it’s worth checking directly with VA on whether your provider was among those affected — and if you’re newly researching FMP-eligible providers there, verify a provider’s current standing with VA before committing to care, rather than relying on older lists or word of mouth.

How Reimbursement Actually Works

There are two paths a claim can take, depending on your provider:

• Your provider files on your behalf. Some foreign providers, particularly in areas with a larger expat veteran population, are familiar with FMP and will file the claim directly, with VA paying them.
• You pay and file yourself. This is common, since many overseas providers aren’t set up to bill a U.S. government program directly. You pay out of pocket at the time of care, then submit the claim yourself for reimbursement.

A few mechanics worth knowing:

• Currency conversion uses the exchange rate in effect on the actual date you received care, not the date you file your claim.
• Reimbursement method depends on your bank. If you have a U.S. bank account, VA deposits reimbursement directly. If you only have an international account, VA issues a U.S. Treasury check by mail instead — as of 2026, electronic payment to international accounts isn’t yet available, though VA has stated it’s working toward that. Keeping a U.S. bank account open, even after moving abroad, generally makes reimbursement noticeably smoother than waiting on an international mailed check.
• VA translates foreign-language documents after you submit your claim, so records in the local language don’t need to be translated by you first.

The One VA Clinic Outside the U.S.

The VA Manila Outpatient Clinic in the Philippines is the only VA-operated medical facility located outside the United States. Under 38 CFR § 17.35(b), VA may provide direct outpatient services there for service-connected conditions — a genuine exception to the reimbursement-only model that governs the rest of FMP everywhere else in the world.

How to Register and File a Claim

1. Register before you need care, not after. Registering ahead of time avoids payment delays later. You can register online, or complete VA Form 10-7959f-1 and fax it to 303-331-7803.
2. Wait for your benefits authorization letter. Once registered, VA sends a letter listing the specific service-connected conditions you’re covered for under FMP — keep a copy with you while abroad, since it’s the document that ties your care back to your covered conditions.
3. Get an itemized billing statement for any care you receive, including the provider’s full name, medical title, office and billing address, phone number, the specific condition treated, and dates of care.
4. File your claim online using a verified Login.gov or ID.me account, uploading your itemized billing statement — or have your provider file on your behalf if they’re set up to do so.
5. File within 2 years of receiving the care or being discharged from the hospital. This deadline is firm, so don’t let paperwork sit.
6. If your claim is denied, you can request reconsideration within 1 year of the decision by mailing your request to: VHA Office of Integrated Veteran Care, Appeals, PO Box 600, Spring City, PA 19475.

Frequently Asked Questions

This article is provided by USMilitary.org, an independent educational resource. We are not affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs or any government agency. For official information and to register, visit VA.gov.