Using your Veteran Card

Veterans seeking appointments with any medical or allied health provider should always call their provider prior to their appointment to ensure that the provider will accept their DVA Gold/White card for the full cost of treatment. 

If a provider does not accept the DVA card, veterans are then advised to ask their general practitioner (GP) for assistance in finding an alternative provider.

In certain circumstances, prior financial approval may be required for DVA to fund particular treatments. In these instances, your treating provider will need to liaise with DVA to request approval on your behalf. They need to visit the ‘Become a DVA health care provider’ page of the DVA website for more information.

Prior approval must be obtained before the treatment is provided to ensure DVA will fund the full cost of treatment.

Should your treating provider have any questions about this process, they can contact DVA’s Provider Line on 1800 550 457 (Option 1) or email health.approval [at] dva.gov.au (health[dot]approval[at]dva[dot]gov[dot]au). 

What to do if you require treatment for items that are not listed on the Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS)

Clients should ask their provider to request prior approval before receiving treatment by contacting DVA on 1800 550 457 (option 3).

For White Card holders only, treatment must relate to accepted disabilities. If the client or provider is not sure whether treatment directly relates to a client’s accepted disability, they should call DVA on 1800 550 457 (option 3) to determine eligibility before receiving treatment.

Veteran Gold Card 

Show your card whenever you visit your health care provider. Medical treatment is usually covered by DVA if you see a provider who accepts your Gold Card. DVA may need to approve some services before you receive them. Go to the ‘Veteran Gold Card’ page of the DVA website for more information.

Veteran White Card

Show your card whenever you visit a healthcare provider for the conditions it covers. DVA usually covers medical treatment by a provider who accepts your White Card. However, DVA may need to approve some services before you receive them. Go to the ‘Veteran White Card’ page of the DVA website for more information.

Veteran Orange Card 

When you visit your doctor for a prescription, show your Orange Card so they can prescribe for you through the Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (RPBS). You also need to show your Orange Card when you take your prescription to the pharmacy. If you do not show your card, you may be charged more and the purchase may not count towards your RPBS Safety Net Threshold.

Please note that these arrangements do not apply to holders of Gold Cards and White Cards, as these cards already cover access to the RPBS.