Care questions · St. Louis
Questions & answers
Care through Valor Medica is provided without charge to the patient, and you do not need to be a veteran, have insurance, ID or an address, or have stopped using substances to be assessed. We aim to respond to a care request within two business days.
The things people ask before they get in touch — including the awkward ones.
Do I need to be a veteran?
No. Veterans are the center of this work and its origin, but Valor Villages serves unhoused and underserved neighbors regardless of service history, and our clinical support follows the same principle.
Who We Can Serve explains what that looks like.
Does it cost anything?
No. Charitable care through Valor Medica is provided without charge to the patient. There is no assessment fee and no application fee. If you have VA eligibility or insurance we will help you use it, because it makes donated money go further — but it never decides whether you are seen.
What to Expect covers what the first assessment involves and what it costs.
I have no ID and no address. Is that a problem?
Not for being seen. It is a problem for a lot of downstream things, which is why documentation help is treated as part of clinical work here rather than as a separate errand.
I am using. Will you turn me away?
No. Active substance use does not disqualify you from assessment or treatment. It is one of the most common reasons people are excluded elsewhere and then blamed for the exclusion.
Who We Can Serve lists active substance use among the things that do not rule you out.
Will you tell the VA, the police, or my family?
Your health information is confidential and is not shared without your agreement, including with Valor Villages case management. Substance use treatment records carry additional federal protection. The narrow exceptions are the ones every clinician has — an immediate danger to you or someone else.
The privacy policy sets out how your health information is handled.
Can you prescribe me opioids?
No, and we want to be direct rather than waste your time. This program reduces opioid burden. If you are on a high dose and want help getting off it safely, that is work we do.
My discharge was not honorable. Am I still eligible?
You are still eligible to be assessed by us, and you are still eligible for the Veterans Crisis Line. Discharge status affects some VA benefits and not others, and it is worth having someone check properly rather than assuming.
Benefits and documentation help covers checking what your discharge status does and does not affect.
How long until someone gets back to me?
We aim to respond to a care request within two business days. If what you describe is urgent, we will tell you to go elsewhere rather than wait for us.
What to Expect walks through each step after you get in touch.
Do I need insurance to be seen?
No. You do not need insurance, ID or an address to be assessed, and there is no assessment fee or application fee. If you do have VA eligibility or insurance, we will help you use it, because it makes donated money go further. It never decides whether you are seen.
Can you help me replace a lost ID or other documents?
Yes. Having no ID or address does not stop you from being seen, but it gets in the way of a lot that comes after, including benefits. That is why documentation help is treated as part of clinical work here rather than as a separate errand you have to handle on your own.
Still not sure?
Ask us directly. Describing your situation costs nothing, and we will tell you honestly whether we can help.