More than 6 million U.S. veterans carry a VA-rated service-connected disability. A federal regulation — 38 CFR § 17.35 — says the VA may pay for treatment of those conditions anywhere outside the United States. In fiscal year 2019, roughly 5,000 veterans used it. This guide closes that gap.
What the FMP actually is
The Foreign Medical Program is a VA health benefit for veterans who are living or traveling outside the U.S. It reimburses (or pays providers directly for) care that is medically necessary for a service-connected disability — or for a condition VA holds to be associated with and aggravating a service-connected disability. The legal basis is 38 CFR § 17.35, and the program sits under VA’s Office of Integrated Veteran Care.
Three features make it unusually flexible compared with stateside VA care:
- Any provider. There is no network abroad. You choose the hospital and the doctor.
- No prior authorization. FMP does not issue preauthorizations at all — care doesn’t wait on VA paperwork (more on managing that risk below).
- No VA health care enrollment required. Eligibility rides on your service-connected rating, not on enrollment in VA’s domestic system.
What it covers — and what it never will
When care is tied to your service-connected condition, covered services include outpatient visits, inpatient hospital care, emergency and urgent care, physical therapy, skilled nursing, prescribed medical equipment and prosthetics, and prescription medications — as long as the drug is FDA-approved.
The five-step path, in order
- Register. File VA Form 10-7959f-1 (online registration is available, or fax). Registration before care avoids payment delays and gets you a benefits authorization letter listing the service-connected conditions you’re covered for.
- Request a predetermination. Because FMP can’t preauthorize, VA encourages veterans to use the Ask VA system for a treatment predetermination screening — reasonable assurance a properly billed claim will be paid. Do this before you book flights.
- Get the care. Any provider abroad. Keep every itemized bill, receipt, and clinical note.
- File the claim. Your provider can file and be paid by VA directly — or you pay and file for reimbursement, now available online with your Login.gov or ID.me account. The deadline is two years from the date of care.
- Get paid. Reimbursements go out by direct deposit to U.S. bank accounts, with international account support in the works per VA.
Why documentation decides everything
FMP claims are adjudicated after the fact, which means the paper trail is the claim. The clinical notes need to explicitly connect the treatment to your rated condition — not just name a procedure. A knee arthroscopy invoice means little; a surgeon’s note stating the arthroscopy treated the service-connected right-knee condition on your authorization letter means everything. VA translates foreign-language documents after submission, so Spanish paperwork from a Colombian hospital is fine — but only the documents you actually submit.
The stakes of sloppiness are real: VA recently suspended many providers in Panama over a long-running fraud scheme. Honest veterans protect themselves the same way VA protects the program — itemized bills, proof of payment, originals kept, treatment tied in writing to the rated condition. Our documentation checklist covers this line by line.
Where Colombia fits
Musculoskeletal injuries — knees, backs, shoulders, hips — dominate service-connected ratings, and orthopedic surgery, physical therapy, and post-surgical rehabilitation are exactly what Colombia’s private hospital sector delivers at scale, with JCI accreditation at the hospital level and individual surgeons verifiable in Colombia’s ReTHUS national registry. The WHO’s 2000 assessment ranked Colombia’s health system #22 in the world — first in the Western Hemisphere that year — and today’s credential checks are current, not historical.
Because we operate from Medellín in person, we can also work the practical angle that makes FMP usable rather than theoretical: providers willing to file the FMP claim themselves so VA pays them directly — meaning you may not front a hospital bill at all. Details in our direct-billing guide.
Want a human to walk you through it?
Send us your rated condition and what you’re waiting on. We’ll give you an honest read on FMP fit, the predetermination step, and which Medellín providers make sense — and if the answer is “this won’t be covered,” we’ll say exactly that. Operated in person from Medellín via Colombia Medical.
Check my FMP fitFrequently asked questions
Do I need to be enrolled in VA health care to use the FMP?
No. VA states enrollment in VA health care is not required for FMP eligibility. What you need is a VA-rated service-connected disability and care that is medically necessary for that condition (or one VA holds to be aggravating it).
Does the FMP cover my spouse or dependents?
No. FMP is a veteran benefit tied to the veteran's service-connected conditions. Dependents' care abroad is not covered under this program.
How long do I have to file an FMP claim?
Two years from the date you received the care. File online with a verified Login.gov or ID.me account, and include itemized billing, proof of payment if you paid, and supporting clinical documentation.
Can the FMP pay a Colombian hospital directly?
Yes - if the provider files the FMP claim on your behalf, VA pays the provider directly. If the provider won't file, you pay up front and claim reimbursement. Confirm a clinic's willingness to direct-bill before treatment.
Sources: 38 CFR § 17.35 (Cornell LII) · VA.gov — Foreign Medical Program pages (overview, registration, claims, covered care) · VA News (2025–2026): online FMP claims, direct deposit · Sen. Duckworth letter (2020): FY2019 FMP usage figures. Informational only — not medical, legal, or benefits advice. Confirm coverage directly with VA before receiving or paying for care abroad.