The Department of Veterans' Affairs file number should only be collected from persons eligible to receive health services that are to be funded by the DVA. The number may be reported to the appropriate government agency to reconcile payment for the service provided.

DVA card number:

This number is the digitised version of the file number. If paper claims are optically scanned by the Health Insurance Commission, the digitised version of the file number is picked up by the scanner and converted to the normal file number format. For manual claims, the gold and white cards may be used in conjunction with the data element and an imprinter. This method records the DVA file number and other card details on a manual voucher.

The data should not be used by private sector organisations for any purpose unless specifically authorised by law. For example, private sector organisations should not use the DVA file number for data linking unless specifically authorised by relevant privacy legislation.

This number must be recorded by a service provider each time a service is provided to a person who holds the entitlement for reimbursement purposes.

All veterans and veteran community clients are issued with a DVA file number. The veteran community may access many different benefits, ranging from pensions to health services, through their DVA file number.

Note that Veterans may have a Medicare card number and a Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) number or only a DVA number.

DVA has three (3) types of health cards:

• Gold Card
• White Card
• Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Card.
  

Each card indicates, to the health provider, the level of health services the holder is eligible for, at the DVA expense.

The Gold card enables the holder to access a comprehensive range of health care and related services, for all conditions, whether they are related to war service or not.

The White card enables the holder to access health care and associated services for war or service-related conditions. Veterans of Australian forces may also be issued this card to receive treatment for malignant cancer, pulmonary tuberculosis and post traumatic stress disorder and, for Vietnam veterans only, anxiety or depression, irrespective of whether these conditions are related to war service or not.

The white card holders are eligible to receive, for specific conditions, treatment from registered medical, hospital, pharmaceutical, dental and allied health care providers with whom DVA has arrangements.

A white card is also issued to eligible ex-service personnel who are from other countries, which enter into arrangements with the Australian government for the treatment of the conditions that these countries accept as war related.

When a gold/white card holder accesses health services at DVA expense, the DVA File Number is critical and should be used. The person's Medicare card number is not required or relevant.

It should be noted that there are a number of gold card holders who do not have a Medicare card.

The Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits card is an orange coloured card issued to eligible veterans and merchant mariners from Britain and the Commonwealth and other allied countries. This card enables the holder to access the range of pharmaceutical items available under the Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. It does not provide access to other health services.