VA Community Care allows eligible veterans to receive care from non-VA providers when certain conditions are met, rather than having the procedure done at a VA medical center. This program is governed by the VA MISSION Act of 2018 and its implementing regulations (38 CFR 17.4010 and related sections). Community Care is not something a veteran can simply choose on their own; it requires VA to determine that the veteran meets specific access standards, such as the VA not offering the specific service, excessive drive time or wait time standards, or the veteran and their VA provider agreeing that community care is in the veteran's best medical interest.
For a scheduled surgery like gynecomastia correction, the usual path is to raise the request directly with the VA surgical or primary care team managing the case, ideally before the procedure is scheduled. The veteran can ask whether the specific procedure meets the access standards for community care, and if so, request a referral. VA schedulers and patient advocates at the facility can explain current wait times for that specific surgical specialty at that VA facility, since this varies significantly by location and surgeon availability, and only local staff will have accurate current numbers.
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 →If VA denies a community care request, veterans have the right to ask for a reconsideration through the facility's patient advocate or, in some cases, file a complaint through the VA's Office of Integrated Veteran Care. Veterans dissatisfied with the quality of VA-performed surgical care also have options such as filing a tort claim, requesting a second opinion, or requesting a review through the facility's surgical quality department, but these are separate from the community care referral process itself.
It's worth noting that approval for community care is case-by-case and facility-by-facility; outcomes depend heavily on local VA capacity, the specific access standards applied, and the judgment of the treating VA provider. There is no guaranteed right to choose a private surgeon simply based on personal preference or concern about outcomes seen online.
The concrete next step is to explicitly ask the VA surgical team or a patient advocate at the pre-surgical appointment whether this specific procedure qualifies under the MISSION Act access standards, and to request a formal community care referral in writing if it does.
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