Processing times for access to DVA funded services

This page provides information to help veterans with a Veteran Card understand expected processing times when they need to contact DVA to access DVA-funded services.

Information is provided on Travel for treatment reimbursements, Booked Car With Driver, Health approvals requiring prior approval, Medical Expenses Privately Incurred and, Rehabilitation Aids and Appliances.

In most cases, veterans do not need to contact DVA before accessing medical treatment. More than 99 per cent of treatment is accessed by presenting a Gold Card or White Card to a service provider, who is then paid directly by DVA. This comprised over 21 million services in 2025-26.

• Where contact with DVA is required, DVA is increasing the availability of digital application channels, including webforms and MyService. These channels help veterans provide the information needed to assess an application and will generally support a faster outcome than applications submitted by email. Complete applications, lodged with all required evidence help to ensure a fast outcome.
• DVA will also continue to support all veterans who choose to email paper forms. 

DVA will continue to prioritise assistance for vulnerable veterans and people experiencing acute or urgent circumstances. If you have submitted an application and the matter remains within the median processing time published below, but your circumstances now make your matter urgent, please contact DVA. This helps DVA focus on providing the fastest possible outcome to the veteran community.

How to help DVA process your application more quickly

• Apply online where possible, including through MyService for transport reimbursements and the Medical Expenses Privately Incurred (MEPI) webform for medical expenses privately incurred.
• Provide all required information when you apply, such as receipts for each reimbursement claim.

Processing Times

Table 1. Travel for treatment - reimbursements — processing times

Applications lodged through MyService will generally be processed within 14 days. Applications lodged by mail or email will generally be processed within 30 days.

Note: More information about travel for treatment reimbursements is available on the DVA website.

Table 2. Booked Car With Driver (BCWD) – DVA funded taxi service

The Booked Car With Driver service is available for certain veterans when attending treatment. The service also includes return transport from your appointment. The service is offered over the phone. Eligible veterans can book online through MyService to avoid call waiting.  While same day service can be provided, veterans are encouraged to book through either channel in advance of their trip, once their appointment for medical treatment has been confirmed.   

If you are aged 80 or over, legally blind, living with dementia, or receiving certain special rates (such as Disability Compensation Payment Special Rate, Totally and Permanently Incapacitated, Extreme Disablement Adjustment, or Special Rate Disability Pension), you may access BCWD without meeting other medical condition criteria.

For those aged 79 or younger, access requires meeting specific medical conditions.

Note: More information about Booked Car With Driver is available on the DVA website.

Table 3. Health approvals requiring prior approval (PFA)

Note – less than 0.15% of services provided by DVA require a DVA approval.

Ongoing increases in demand continue to put pressure on the system. However, recent reforms that have enabled more services to be delivered without prior approval, and significant refinements in Departmental processes, have enabled an improvement in service standards. Timeframes are directly impacted by the provision of necessary supporting clinical information. 

Data above includes Mental Health Care Plans, which have been consistently finalised within 10 days since commencement on 1 July 2026.

*The average processing times for these applications is impacted by work to deal with some of the oldest outstanding work items, including following up where more information is required for a decision to be made.

Note: More information about health approvals requiring prior approval is available on the DVA website.

Table 4. Reimbursement of Medical Expenses Privately Incurred (MEPI)

The Department commits to approving MEPI reimbursements within 14 days where veterans use the webform and provide all necessary supporting documentation. The preferred application channel is the MEPI webform.

Note: More information about medical expenses privately incurred reimbursements is available on the DVA website.

Table 5. Rehabilitation aids and appliances requiring prior approval 

Timeliness is impacted by incomplete claims and requests, and by more complex requests. The Department is able to approve claims with all relevant justification in a timely manner.

**The average processing time for these applications is impacted by work to deal with some of the oldest outstanding work items, including following up where more information is required for a decision to be made.

Note: More information about rehabilitation aids and appliances is available on the DVA website.

Key terms explained

Here are some definitions to help you understand our timeliness measures:

• Median — The middle processing time, where half of claims were processed faster and half took longer.
• Average — The average processing time. calculated by adding together all processing times together and dividing by the number of claims processed.