WASHINGTON, D.C. — Representatives Zach Nunn (IA-03), a Colonel in the Air Force Reserve, and Don Davis (NC-01) introduced the CHAMP VA Filing Extension Act, bipartisan legislation to extend the filing window for Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) health benefits to a full year after notice of eligibility.
“Veterans and their families deserve timely, high-quality health care,” said Rep. Nunn. “No family should lose coverage because a government office moved too slowly, especially when they’ve done everything right. This is a bipartisan, commonsense fix that gives families in Iowa and across the country the time they need to access the benefits they’ve earned.”
CHAMPVA provides health care coverage to more than 737,000 Americans. Under current law, beneficiaries have only 180 days from the date of a Medicare eligibility determination or retroactive CHAMPVA approval to file medical expense claims. This 180-day deadline doesn’t account for common delays in the VA’s processing and mailing systems. Many families don’t receive their approval letters until weeks or months into that window, leaving little time to file claims or understand next steps.
“Veterans and their families should never risk losing care because of paperwork delays and red tape,” said Rep. Davis. “The CHAMP VA Filing Extension Act provides veteran families a fair, workable time window to secure the coverage they have earned.”
The CHAMP VA Filing Extension Act closes this gap by ensuring no veteran family loses access to earned benefits due to red tape or administrative delays outside their control. Specifically, the bill would:
- Extend the CHAMPVA filing window from 180 days to one full year after a beneficiary receives notice of eligibility.
- Give families a fair and workable timeframe to complete paperwork, gather documentation, and submit claims without risking the permanent loss of critical health coverage.
- Address coordination challenges for families navigating both Medicare and CHAMPVA, reducing timing conflicts between overlapping federal programs.
- Require the Department of Veterans Affairs to issue regulations to ensure the extension is applied clearly, consistently, and across all eligible cases.
Text of the bill can be found here.
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