The Foreign Medical Program (FMP) is run by the VA's Health Administration Center and pays for treatment related to your service-connected conditions when you live or travel outside the United States and its territories. It does not function like a general health insurance plan. If you are 100% P&T, FMP will cover care for the conditions VA has rated as service-connected, including hospitalization, outpatient visits, medications, and emergency care, as long as the treatment is for a service-connected disability or a condition that has been clinically linked to one (for example, a complication caused by treatment for a service-connected condition).
Conditions that are not service-connected, such as sinusitis that was never granted service connection, are not covered by FMP. Emergency room visits are treated the same way: FMP will only reimburse emergency care tied to a service-connected condition, not unrelated emergencies. For anything non-service-connected, you would need separate coverage, such as private international health insurance, local national health coverage in your country of residence, or paying out of pocket, since Medicare generally does not work overseas either.
Official 2026 VA monthly compensation, including the 2.8% COLA increase.
Dependent add-ons start at a 30% rating. Child-only and dependent-parent rates: see the full 2026 pay chart.
| Rating | Monthly (2026, incl. 2.8% COLA) |
|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 |
| 20% | $356.66 |
| 30% | $552.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 |
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Analyze my claim free →CHAMPVA is a different program and is not available to you as the veteran if you are the 100% P&T rated individual yourself; CHAMPVA covers eligible dependents and survivors of veterans who are permanently and totally disabled or have died from a service-connected condition, not the veteran's own care. So CHAMPVA would only come into play for your spouse or dependent children, and its coverage rules and provider networks also differ when used overseas, generally requiring you to pay upfront and file for reimbursement.
To use FMP, you generally need to register with the Foreign Medical Program office in Denver before incurring expenses, keep itemized medical records and receipts (translated into English if needed), and submit claims for reimbursement after paying the provider directly, since most overseas providers do not bill VA directly. Processing and reimbursement timelines can vary significantly depending on the country and documentation provided.
Before relocating, contact the FMP office directly to confirm your specific service-connected conditions are enrolled and to get current instructions for claims submission from your destination country, and separately shop for supplemental health insurance to cover any non-service-connected medical needs.
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