Did You Know? The VA Will Pay for Travel to Medical Appointments
Anyone who travels to medical appointments frequently knows that the expenses can add up quickly. Fortunately, the VA can help cover those expenses through travel claims. Veterans often are unaware that the VA will reimburse them for their travel to and from medical appointments.
To be eligible for travel reimbursement, at least one of these six requirements must be met:
- Traveling for treatment of a service-connected condition;
- A disabled veteran rated at least 30%;
- Traveling for a scheduled compensation or pension examination;
- Receiving a VA pension;
- With limited income;
- Traveling to receive a VA-authorized service dog.
How Does the VA Pay for Travel?
The VA will pay you a flat rate of 41.5 cents per mile for those who drive to their appointments. If you use a rideshare like Uber, a taxi, or public transportation, they will pay whatever the actual cost of travel is. In addition, the VA will cover any parking fees or tolls.
It’s important to note that if you’re looking to be reimbursed for anything other than mileage, you will need to submit a receipt. You should be able to either take a picture or scan these.
Those who receive reimbursement for travel typically have a deductible of $3 for a one-way trip or $6 for a round trip, with a maximum of $18 per calendar month. However, these deductibles can be waived for financial hardship.
If you require a caregiver to assist you with your medical appointments, the VA will also reimburse an authorized family caregiver or other medically required attendants.
The VA may also reimburse more specialized forms of travel, but you may need VA pre-approval. If you would like to know more about this, contact your provider.
How Do I File a Travel Claim?
The VA recommends using their new Beneficiary Travel Self Service System, or BTSS. Filing claims through their website should result in payments after 3-5 business days. You should be able to access the BTSS system by using your MyHealtheVet, DSLogin or by creating a verified account with the ID.me system. Once you log in to the system, your VA appointments should be pre-filled, and you should be able to submit your claim relatively quickly.
If you are unable to submit your travel claim online, you can file claims at kiosks in VA medical centers, help desks, or patient services offices at many VA hospitals or local clinics. You also can file a hard-copy claim via postal mail. However, these methods will be much slower than filing online, as you may have to wait up to 45 days for any reimbursement.
We are Veterans Helping Veterans
The Veterans Legal Assistance Program’s goal is to support veterans and those serving in active-duty, as well as their families. We want to inform you of the issues affecting the Veteran community and connect you with people we trust.
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