The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) runs one of the largest telehealth programs in the country. VA virtual care now includes video visits, home monitoring, secure messaging, mobile apps, and community sites for Veterans with limited internet. In fiscal 2025, more than 2.9 million Veterans used VA telehealth for part of their care.
For providers and care teams outside the VA, this program offers a useful model. It shows how virtual care can support chronic disease management, rural access, and ongoing patient engagement at scale. This article covers the main VA virtual care programs, the latest numbers, what VA research is studying, and lessons community practices can apply.
What VA Virtual Care Includes
VA virtual care is coordinated through the VA Office of Connected Care and VA Telehealth Services. Veterans can use one service or several, depending on their care plan. Here are the main programs.
1. VA Video Connect
VA Video Connect is the VA’s secure video app. Veterans and their caregivers can meet with VA providers from anywhere in the U.S. Visits cover primary care, mental health, specialty care, and more. The VA has also partnered with AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon to reduce data charges for VA Video Connect use on mobile devices.
2. Remote Patient Monitoring (Home Telehealth)
The VA’s remote patient monitoring (RPM) program is called Remote Patient Monitoring (Home Telehealth), or RPM-HT. A VA provider refers the Veteran after evaluating clinical need. A Care Coordinator then sends a telehealth device and trains the Veteran to use it. Daily readings go to the care team for review.
3. Patient-Generated Health Data Tools
Veterans can track health data between visits and share it with their care teams. Examples include blood pressure, blood glucose, heart rate, steps, and pulse oximetry. VA tools for this include Share My Health Data, the Annie text messaging service, and My VA Images.
4. My HealtheVet, Secure Messaging, and Mobile Apps
My HealtheVet on VA.gov lets Veterans refill prescriptions, manage appointments, view records, and message their care teams. The VA also offers more than 60 mobile apps to help Veterans manage their health outside the clinic.
5. ATLAS Sites
ATLAS stands for Accessing Telehealth through Local Area Stations. These are private spaces in local communities with internet access and video equipment. An on-site attendant helps Veterans check in and handle basic technical issues, then leaves once the visit starts. ATLAS is aimed at Veterans who live far from a VA facility or lack reliable home internet.
6. Bridging the Digital Divide
Some Veterans lack a device that can handle video visits. Through the Digital Divide Consult, the VA can lend a tablet at no cost. The VA also points Veterans to the FCC’s Lifeline program, which may discount home internet or phone service.
VA Virtual Care by the Numbers
The VA publishes telehealth figures each year through VA News. The most recent full-year data covers fiscal 2025, which ran from October 2024 through September 2025.
According to the VA’s fiscal 2025 report:
- More than 2.9 million Veterans took part in over 14.6 million episodes of care through telehealth.
- That was a 10% increase from the previous year.
- 91.7% of Veterans who used telehealth said they were satisfied with the services.
- 89.1% reported trusting telehealth as part of their overall health care.
- More than 2.1 million Veterans received care through more than 11.7 million VA Video Connect visits to the home.
- 92.9% were satisfied with those video visits.
Growth has continued into fiscal 2026. From October 1, 2025, through April 30, 2026, more than 2.3 million Veterans took part in more than 8.7 million telehealth episodes of care, VA News reported. That is a 2.2% increase over the same period a year earlier. Satisfaction for fiscal 2026 to date stood at 92.5%, and the VA described it as a record high for the sixth straight year.
For care teams outside the VA, the lesson is clear: patients use virtual care at high volume when it is easy to access.
How VA Remote Patient Monitoring Works
VA virtual care relies heavily on home monitoring for Veterans with chronic conditions. According to VA Telehealth Services, RPM-HT “focuses on prevention and early detection of worsening symptoms with simple in-home technology.”
The process follows a clear path:
- Referral. A VA provider evaluates the Veteran and refers them based on clinical need.
- Device setup. A Care Coordinator sends a telehealth device to monitor vital signs and teaches the Veteran how to use it.
- Daily readings. The Veteran submits readings and answers health questions from home.
- Review. The Care Coordinator tracks readings and flags concerning changes. Readings are monitored Monday through Friday during normal business hours.
- Coordination. VA providers receive the information they need to adjust care.
The VA lists chronic kidney disease, COPD, diabetes, heart failure, hypertension and hypotension, and multiple sclerosis as examples of conditions the program supports. The list is not exhaustive. The VA also notes that no home internet is required and there is no cost to enroll.
Our article on VA remote monitoring covers how the program has grown and what results it has produced.
What VA Research Says About Virtual Care
The VA studies its own virtual care programs closely. The VHA Health Services Research and Development service held a State-of-the-Art (SOTA) Conference on Virtual Care. The findings were published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine in 2024 as a conference report.
Four Research Questions
Conference workgroups focused on four areas:
- Outcomes. Which virtual care outcomes should be measured, and how?
- Modality. How should clinicians match each patient with the right type of care: in-person, video, phone, or hybrid?
- Safety. What patient safety risks does virtual care carry?
- Patient-generated health data. How can home readings support clinical decisions and self-management?
Key Findings
The report noted that virtual care has strong evidence for managing several chronic conditions. It also has high patient and provider satisfaction. However, many studies use narrow samples and inconsistent outcome measures.
The group recommended:
- Using consistent, validated outcome measures across studies.
- Studying which patients benefit most, including complex patients and those with limited internet access.
- Researching hybrid in-person and virtual care models with longer follow-up.
- Studying safety domains such as care transitions, referrals, diagnostic errors, and medication errors.
- Learning how to present patient-generated data to clinicians and patients, and how to protect its privacy and accuracy.
VC CORE
The VA’s Virtual Care Consortium of Research (VC CORE) continues this work. Its mission is to “facilitate research that evaluates and improves use of virtual care.” Its programs include Office of Connected Care projects, a Veteran Engagement Panel, an associate investigator program, and SOTA conferences.
Lessons From VA Virtual Care for Community Practices
Many Veterans also receive care from community providers. And many non-VA patients face the same barriers: distance, chronic illness, and limited technology. Here are practical lessons care teams can take from VA virtual care.
1. Build Around Chronic Conditions
The VA targets home monitoring at conditions like hypertension, diabetes, heart failure, and COPD. These produce steady, measurable data, so trends are easier to spot early.
2. Remove Technology Barriers for Patients
The VA does not require home internet for RPM-HT. It lends tablets and funds community ATLAS sites. The lesson is simple: patients engage more when setup is easy. Cellular-connected devices that work out of the box help close this gap, especially in rural communities.
3. Assign a Clear Point of Contact
Each VA RPM-HT patient has a Care Coordinator. That person handles setup, education, and daily review. Community practices can mirror this with a nurse or care manager who owns the monitoring workflow.
4. Keep Data in the Clinical Workflow
Home readings help only when the care team sees them in time. The VA notes that care teams are not notified automatically when Veterans share some types of data, so the workflow needs a clear review step. For community practices, readings that land directly in the EHR are easier to review. Our guide to EHR integration explains how this works in practice.
5. Measure What Matters
The VA’s SOTA report calls for consistent outcome measures. Practices can apply the same idea. Track a small set of clinical and engagement measures, review them on a regular schedule, and adjust the program based on results.
Frequently Asked Questions About VA Virtual Care
This section answers common questions about VA virtual care from providers, care teams, Veterans, and caregivers. It covers program basics, eligibility, and technology needs.
1) What is VA virtual care?
VA virtual care is the set of digital and remote services the VA uses to deliver care outside the clinic. It includes VA Video Connect visits, remote patient monitoring through Home Telehealth, secure messaging, My HealtheVet, mobile apps, and ATLAS community sites. The VA Office of Connected Care and VA Telehealth Services oversee these programs.
2) How many Veterans use VA telehealth?
In fiscal 2025, more than 2.9 million Veterans took part in over 14.6 million telehealth episodes of care, according to VA News. From October 1, 2025, through April 30, 2026, more than 2.3 million Veterans took part in more than 8.7 million episodes. Satisfaction for that period was 92.5%.
3) How does a Veteran enroll in VA remote patient monitoring?
A VA provider evaluates the Veteran and makes a referral based on clinical need. A Care Coordinator then sends a telehealth device, explains how to use it, and reviews readings. The VA states there is no cost to enroll and no home internet is required.
4) What if a Veteran does not have internet or a device?
The VA can lend a video-capable tablet at no cost through the Digital Divide Consult. Veterans can also use ATLAS sites, which offer private rooms with internet and video equipment. The FCC’s Lifeline program may help eligible households lower internet or phone costs.
5) Is virtual care as effective as in-person care?
A 2024 VHA conference report in the Journal of General Internal Medicine found strong evidence for virtual care in managing several chronic conditions, along with high satisfaction. The authors also called for more research on safety, hybrid care models, and which patients benefit most. The right choice depends on the patient and the clinical need.
6) Can community practices offer remote monitoring like the VA?
Yes. Community practices can use remote patient monitoring for patients with chronic conditions. A workable program needs easy-to-use devices, a care team member who reviews readings, and data that flows into the patient record. Coverage and requirements vary by payer, so practices should confirm details with each plan.
Understanding VA Virtual Care
VA virtual care shows what remote care can look like at national scale. Millions of Veterans use video visits, home monitoring, and digital tools each year, and satisfaction remains above 90%. The VA’s model rests on a few clear principles: start with chronic conditions, remove technology barriers, assign a care coordinator, and keep data in front of the care team. VA researchers continue to study outcomes, safety, and patient-generated data so these programs keep improving.
Tenovi provides remote monitoring infrastructure that helps care teams apply these same principles. We offer 60+ cellular-connected devices through the Tenovi Gateway or SIM-embedded devices, so patients never deal with apps, syncing, or Wi-Fi. One API connects every device, and we handle fulfillment, provisioning and support. Through our partnership with eClinicalWorks (eCW), readings flow through the Tenovi Cloud into the eCW dashboard and patient record, so staff can review trends without switching systems or re-keying data. Contact us for a free demo and consultation.
