VA Telehealth for Women Veterans
VA Video Connect, ATLAS community sites, tablet lending, and phone appointments — the VA brings care to you when distance, childcare, or time makes travel impossible.
Forty-six percent of women veterans have missed a medical appointment because of childcare. Others live hours from the nearest VA facility. Telehealth does not solve every problem, but it removes the two biggest barriers — travel and childcare — for most routine care, mental health, and many specialty appointments.
The VA's telehealth system runs on VA Video Connect — a free, secure video platform that works on your phone, tablet, or computer. You do not need special software or a VA-issued device. And for veterans in rural areas without reliable internet, ATLAS community sites put private, equipped telehealth rooms in VFW halls, American Legion posts, and Walmart locations across the country.
Telehealth is not a lesser version of VA care — it is the same providers, the same evidence-based treatments, and the same prescribing authority, delivered through a screen instead of a waiting room.
Care from home
VA Video Connect, ATLAS community sites, tablet lending, and phone appointments — the VA brings care to you when distance, childcare, or time makes travel impossible.
Use the eligibility and access steps on this page to connect with this service without leaving the guide.
Understanding VA Telehealth
VA Video Connect (VVC)
A free, encrypted video platform that works on any smartphone, tablet, or computer with a camera and internet connection. Your VA provider sends you a link before the appointment — click it at your scheduled time and you are in. No app download required (though an app is available).
Phone appointments
For appointments that do not require a visual exam, phone-only appointments are available. Your provider calls you at the scheduled time. This is especially useful for medication management, follow-ups, and mental health check-ins.
ATLAS community sites
Accessing Telehealth through Local Area Stations puts private, equipped telehealth rooms in American Legion posts, VFW halls, Walmart locations, and university campuses. You walk into a comfortable, private room with a screen and camera, and your VA provider is on the other end. No home internet required.
VA tablet lending program
If you do not have a device or reliable internet, the VA can lend you a tablet with a cellular data plan — at no cost — so you can access telehealth from home. Ask your provider or social worker about the program.
Store-and-forward and remote monitoring
For certain conditions, the VA uses store-and-forward technology (sending photos or data for a provider to review later) and remote patient monitoring (home devices that transmit vitals to your care team between visits).
Clinical Video Telehealth (CVT)
Video appointments conducted from a nearby VA outpatient clinic using the clinic's equipment and a private room — connecting you to a specialist at a larger VA facility without the drive.
Do you qualify for VA Telehealth?
Any veteran enrolled in VA health care can access telehealth appointments — there is no separate enrollment.
Telehealth is available for primary care, mental health, specialty care, and many other services.
You do not need special equipment — a smartphone, tablet, or computer with a camera and internet connection works.
Veterans without internet or a device can use ATLAS community sites or request a free loaner tablet with a data plan.
Rural veterans are especially encouraged to use telehealth, but it is available to all enrolled veterans regardless of location.
Some specialty appointments may still require in-person visits for physical exams or procedures — your provider will let you know.
Not sure whether you qualify? Eligibility details can be complex. An accredited representative can confirm exactly where you stand before you invest time in applications.
What VA Telehealth actually gives you
Primary care appointments
Wellness visits, chronic condition management, medication reviews, lab result discussions, and care planning — all available by video or phone.
Mental health therapy and psychiatry
Individual therapy (CPT, PE, CBT), group therapy, psychiatric medication management, and substance use counseling — with the same evidence-based approaches used in person.
Women's health consultations
Contraception counseling, menopause symptom management, prenatal check-ins, and follow-up on GYN concerns — many reproductive health conversations do not require a physical exam.
Specialty follow-ups
Post-surgical follow-ups, cardiology check-ins, pain management consultations, and nutrition counseling — reducing the number of trips to the VA for ongoing specialist care.
Social work and case management
Benefits counseling, housing assistance coordination, caregiver support, and connection to community resources — services that are naturally suited to video or phone.
Prescription management
Medication adjustments, refill coordination, and new prescriptions when clinically appropriate — your provider has the same prescribing authority on a telehealth visit as in person.
What this means for you
Telehealth was built for the exact barriers that keep women veterans from VA care — long drives with kids in the car, missing work for a 15-minute appointment, and the discomfort of sitting in a waiting room full of men. If childcare is the reason you have been skipping appointments, telehealth removes that excuse. If distance is the reason, ATLAS puts a private room closer to you than the VA. And if you have been avoiding mental health care because you do not want to walk through the main entrance of a VA hospital, doing therapy from your couch changes everything.
Getting VA Telehealth, step by step
Ask your provider about telehealth at your next visit
Any scheduled appointment can potentially be converted to telehealth if clinically appropriate. Ask your provider or call your VA facility's scheduling line.
Download the VA Video Connect app (optional)
Available on iOS and Android. You can also join from any web browser by clicking the link your provider sends — no download needed.
Test your setup before your first appointment
Visit the VA Video Connect test page to make sure your camera, microphone, and internet connection work. The VA help desk (1-866-651-3180) can troubleshoot issues.
Find an ATLAS site if you lack internet
Search for ATLAS locations at ConnectedCare.va.gov/ATLAS or ask your VA social worker. Sites are in VFW halls, American Legion posts, Walmart stores, and university campuses.
Request a loaner tablet if you need a device
If you do not have a smartphone, tablet, or computer with a camera, ask your provider or social worker about the VA's free tablet lending program — a tablet with a cellular data plan at no cost.
VA Video Connect Technical Support
For setup help and troubleshooting before or during a telehealth appointment
1-866-651-3180What trips women veterans up
Assuming telehealth is only for minor issues — the VA provides evidence-based PTSD treatment, psychiatric care, and specialty consultations by video with the same quality as in-person visits.
Not knowing about ATLAS — if you do not have reliable internet at home, private telehealth rooms exist in community locations across the country.
Missing the free tablet program — veterans without a device can borrow one with a cellular data plan at no cost.
Canceling when you could convert — if you cannot make it to the VA in person, call and ask to switch the appointment to telehealth instead of canceling.
Thinking you need special technology — VA Video Connect works on any smartphone, tablet, or computer with a camera and internet. A download is available but not required.
Not testing your setup first — a failed connection wastes your appointment slot. Test your audio and video at the VA Video Connect test page before your first telehealth visit.
VA Telehealth: your questions answered
What do I need for a VA telehealth appointment?
A smartphone, tablet, or computer with a camera, a microphone, and an internet connection. That is it. The VA sends you a link before the appointment — click it at the scheduled time. No special software or VA device is required.
Can I get therapy by telehealth?
Yes. Every mental health service the VA offers — individual therapy, group therapy, couples counseling, psychiatric medication management — is available by VA Video Connect or phone.
What if I do not have internet at home?
ATLAS community sites put private, equipped telehealth rooms in VFW halls, American Legion posts, Walmart locations, and university campuses. You use the site's equipment and connection; your VA provider appears on screen. Find locations at ConnectedCare.va.gov/ATLAS.
Can I get a free tablet from the VA?
If you do not have a device and your provider determines telehealth is appropriate, the VA can lend you a tablet with a cellular data plan at no cost. Ask your provider or social worker.
Is telehealth available for women's health appointments?
Yes. Contraception counseling, menopause management, prenatal check-ins, and follow-ups on many GYN concerns can be done by telehealth. Your WH-PCP will let you know if an in-person visit is needed for a physical exam.
What if my telehealth appointment has technical problems?
Call the VA Video Connect help desk at 1-866-651-3180. If the issue cannot be resolved quickly, your provider will typically switch to a phone appointment so you do not lose the time slot.
See every healthcare service available to women veterans, or estimate the rating that could expand your VA health care access.
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