How to Get Your VA Referral for the Discseel® Procedure
A step-by-step guide to requesting Community Care coverage — with ready-to-send messages and your rights under federal law.
If you're a veteran on the Florida panhandle or beyond living with chronic spine pain, Discseel for veterans is now available through VA Community Care. This page walks you through exactly how to request your referral — including copy-and-paste messages you can send to your VA care team and the federal protections that support your right to community care.
Send a Secure Message to Your VA Care Team
Log in to My HealtheVet Secure Messaging and send a message to your VA Primary Care Team (PACT) or your Community Care Coordinator. Copy the message below that matches your symptoms.
Copy & Send Your Referral Request
I am requesting a Community Care referral to an Interventional Pain Management specialist for evaluation and treatment of my ongoing low back pain. Please direct the referral to: JCJTAM, LLC Optum Provider Number: 57735494 NPI: 1255036299 EIN: 923248464 Dr. Gerald Mastaw, NPI: 1316993454 Please submit the referral so I can be evaluated and treated as soon as possible. Thank you for your help and support.
I am requesting a Community Care referral to an Interventional Pain Management specialist for evaluation and treatment of my ongoing neck pain. Please direct the referral to: JCJTAM, LLC Optum Provider Number: 57735494 NPI: 1255036299 EIN: 923248464 Dr. Gerald Mastaw, NPI: 1316993454 Please submit the referral so I can be evaluated and treated as soon as possible. Thank you for your help and support.
Ask your VA representative to include this exact language — it ensures proper authorization and routing of your care under the VA/Community Care program.
Where the referral should be sent:
Important: Follow up with your VA Primary Care Physician or Community Care Coordinator to process the request. Approval may take several attempts — persistence matters, and our team is here to help.
Know Your Rights Before You Send
The MISSION Act
Public Law 115-182, 2018
Interventional Pain Management is specialty care. If the VA cannot schedule you within 28 days, or if your drive time exceeds 60 minutes, you are eligible for community care on that basis alone. Keep a written record of every appointment offer, dates, and drive times — this documents that the access standard has been triggered.
The Senator Elizabeth Dole Act
Public Law 118-210, January 2025
Once you and your VA clinician agree that community care is in your best medical interest, that decision is final. VA administrators may not override it through secondary review. If staff say the referral needs additional approval, you may cite Section 101 of the Elizabeth Dole Act and ask them to proceed.
If your referral stalls:
Contact your VA facility's Office of Community Care and Patient Advocate.
Escalate to your VISN Community Care director and your Congressional representative's constituent services office.
VA's published standard is that referral preparation should take up to 14 days. Beyond that, request a written status update and document the delay.
Already Have Your Imaging? Send It to Us
If you have an MRI, CT, or X-ray from the VA or an outside facility, you can upload it securely right now — you do not need to wait for your referral to be approved. Getting your images to us early lets our team review them ahead of your first visit. Accepts CD, DICOM, and standard image files.
Uploads are handled by myMedicalImages, our secure imaging partner. You will be taken to their site to complete the transfer. Questions? Call (800) 931-6086.