Processing Certain Claims for Payment for Transportation, Care, and Services

Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Department of Veterans Affairs 38 CFR Part 17 AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs. ACTION: Notification of guidance. SUMMARY: This notification informs the public of the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) interpretation of law and regulations regarding timely filing for certain claims for payment for transportation, care and services affected by a cybersecurity incident. DATES: The guidance is effective August 22, 2024. Claims submitted pursuant to this document must be received by VA by October 31, 2024. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joseph Duran, Policy Directorate, 16IVCEO3, Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20420; 303-370-1637. This is not a toll-free number. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Factual Background: On February 21, 2024, a cybersecurity incident impacted Change Healthcare (CHC). CHC serves as a clearinghouse for a number of claims for payment related to ambulance transportation and health care services under a contract with VA. This incident prevented providers and entities from submitting claims electronically to VA. As of May 8, 2024, VA is able to receive all claims electronically. Between February 21, 2024, and May 8, 2024, VA had limited or no ability to receive and process claims because of this incident. During this period of more than 70 days, providers and entities were unable to, or were limited in their ability to, submit claims to VA for services for which VA would normally have …