For veterans · VA Community Care Network providers
You earned this care. Know your rights.
Sleep apnea treatment without a CPAP is a covered VA medical benefit. TDSS providers are in the VA Community Care Network and know how to help you access it.
The silent epidemic
Veterans carry a higher risk of sleep apnea. Most never get treated.
Service exposures, disrupted sleep, and PTSD raise the odds. Untreated, it is tied to heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, and depression.Service exposures, disrupted sleep, and higher rates of PTSD all raise the odds. Left untreated, sleep apnea is tied to heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, and depression.
If you were handed a CPAP and could not live with it, or were diagnosed and never offered treatment, you still have options.
Higher
risk of OSA among veterans than the general population
Medical
not dental. Oral appliance therapy is a VA medical benefit.
First‑line
treatment for mild to moderate sleep apnea, and an approved CPAP alternative
Silent
no machine, no hoses, no electricity. Fits in your pocket.
Your rights under the VA MISSION Act
The VA can authorize care outside the VA. You can ask for it.
The Veterans Community Care Program puts you in the driver’s seat. When the VA cannot provide the care you need close enough or soon enough, you may be eligible to receive it from a Community Care Network provider like a TDSS dentist.
A TDSS provider will walk you through which standards apply to you and what to say to your VA care team.
- 1
Wait time
If the VA cannot schedule your specialty care within its access standard, you may be eligible.
- 2
Drive time
If the nearest VA facility offering the service is too far from home, you may be eligible.
- 3
Service not available
If your local VA does not offer oral appliance therapy, you may be eligible. This is the most common path.
We prepare the paperwork. You bring your voice.We prepare the paperwork.
You bring your voice.
Community Care must be authorized by the VA before treatment begins. Your TDSS provider makes that request as easy as possible.
- 1
Visit a TDSS provider
A VA Community Care Network dentist screens you, reviews your history, and confirms you are a candidate.
- 2
We build your packet
Your provider prepares the referral request and clinical documentation the VA needs. You do not fill out forms alone.
- 3
You talk to your VA team
Bring the packet to your VA primary care provider and ask for a Community Care referral. We give you the words.
- 4
Get treated
Once authorized, your TDSS dentist fits your custom appliance. If anything stalls, we know how to escalate.
You gave me back something I thought I’d lost forever: my strength and my peace of mind.
Get the care you deserve.
Visit a TDSS provider to learn how to access the care you’ve earned.Visit a TDSS provider to learn how to access the care you’ve earned. They will explain your options, prepare your request, and stand with you through the process.
TRICARE beneficiaries and families: oral appliance therapy is covered for you too. Ask your provider.