Can I get VA-covered crutches from a community provider?

Yes. Through the VA Community Care Network, veterans can receive VA-covered crutches from civilian providers. In urgent situations like post-surgery discharge, crutches can be provided on the spot with no pre-authorization required.

Resource Center — Mobility Products

Mobility ProductsMay 19, 2026

Getting Crutches Through the VA Community Care Network: What You Need to Know

Q: What is the VA Community Care Network?

The VA Community Care Network is a VA-managed network of civilian providers contracted to treat veterans when the VA cannot provide timely care. TriWest administers the CCN for most western U.S. states; Optum Health covers eastern regions.

Most veterans think of the VA as the hospital on the edge of town. And for some people, that's exactly how they use it. But there's a whole other side of the VA system that lets you get care and equipment from local civilian providers in your own community.

It's called the VA Community Care Network. For crutches, it's worth understanding, especially if you're having surgery at a local orthopedic center, you're nowhere near a VA Medical Center, or you just want to work with your own doctor.

What is the VA Community Care Network?

The Community Care Network, or CCN, is a VA-managed network of civilian doctors, specialists, hospitals, and surgery centers. When the VA can't provide the care you need in a timely or accessible way, they authorize you to see someone in the CCN instead and they pay for it.

TriWest Healthcare Alliance runs the CCN in most of the western U.S. Optum Health handles the eastern half. Both work the same way for you: you see a local provider, they bill TriWest or Optum, and the VA covers the cost. You pay nothing beyond whatever your standard VA copay would be.

Community care gets authorized when the VA doesn't offer what you need, when wait times are too long, when you live far from the nearest VA facility, or when you and your VA provider both agree it makes more sense for you to be seen locally.

How DME works when you're seeing a community provider

This part differs depending on whether it's a planned situation or an emergency, so let's take each one separately.

If it's planned: you know you'll need crutches ahead of time

Say you're having knee surgery next month at a local orthopedic center and you know you'll need crutches when you're discharged. Here's how that works:

Your community provider determines crutches are medically necessary
They complete VA Form 10-10172 and include the brand, model, and HCPCS code in the DME section
They submit the form to your VA Medical Center's community care office within 24 hours
The VA then coordinates getting the crutches to you through PSAS. This doesn't happen at the provider's office, it happens through the VA fulfillment process.

Be clear on this: your community provider is not supposed to hand you crutches on the spot for a routine, planned situation. The form goes to the VA first and the VA handles fulfillment. If a provider tries to give you generic crutches without going through the form process, you can ask them to follow the proper path. That's what protects your ability to get the brand you want.

If it's urgent: you're being discharged after surgery or you're in the ER

This is where the rules flip. In a genuine urgent or emergency situation, your community provider can give you crutches before you leave with no pre-authorization needed. TriWest reimburses them directly.

The VA actually names crutches specifically as an example of urgent DME in their CCN policy. So if you're being discharged from surgery and you need crutches to walk out, that qualifies.

This is your best window to get in-Motion crutches on the spot. Ask for them by name before you leave the facility. If they have them in stock, they can give them to you right there.

The VA is clear: forgetting to plan ahead for a scheduled procedure doesn't make it an emergency. The urgent pathway is for real emergencies, not a shortcut around the routine process.

How to find a community care provider near you

The VA Facility Locator at va.gov/find-locations is the easiest way. When you search, select "Community providers (in VA's network)" as the facility type and enter your ZIP code. That'll show you approved providers in your area.

You can also call the VA's IVC National Contact Center at 877-881-7618, Option 1 for veterans, and ask about approved providers near you. They can also help if you're stuck on a DME request. Available Monday through Friday, 8am to 9pm Eastern.

Why this matters for the crutch you get

Here's the big picture: the orthopedic offices and surgery centers that are most likely to prescribe you crutches are often community care providers. They're in the CCN. They can order the in-Motion Pro Forearm Crutch or in-Motion Pro Underarm Crutch and get reimbursed by TriWest for it.

A lot of veterans don't realize that when they leave surgery, they have options. You can ask the surgical center for in-Motion crutches by name. If it's an urgent discharge situation, they can give them to you right there. If it's planned, they can put the right brand on the form before they submit it.

Either way, you don't have to leave with whatever was easiest for the facility to grab.

Free download: What to bring to your appointment

We put together a one-page reference sheet you can print and bring with you. It covers what to ask for, the billing codes, and a quick checklist for both planned and urgent situations.

Download the VA Appointment Reference Sheet (PDF)

If you're a provider reading this

We know orthopedic offices and surgery centers treat a lot of veterans. We sell in-Motion crutches directly to providers, and TriWest reimbursement covers them. If you'd like to stock in-Motion crutches for your patients, reach out to us at millennialmedical.com. We'll make it easy.

Questions about the community care process? millennialmedical.com. We're happy to help veterans navigate it.

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