VA offers travel pay reimbursement to eligible Veterans and caregivers for mileage and other travel expenses for approved health care appointments.
Making sure you stay on top of your health care is an important part of staying well, but going to and from appointments can be stressful, especially when it requires long drives, public transportation, parking fees, or even a hotel stay.
To make things easier, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers travel pay reimbursement to eligible Veterans and caregivers for mileage and other travel expenses for approved health care appointments.
Learn more about VA’s Travel Reimbursement Program, its eligibility requirements, and how to take advantage of this benefit.
What Types of Travel Expenses Will VA Reimburse?
VA can reimburse eligible Veterans and caregivers for mileage driven in a personal vehicle and transportation by a rideshare or public transportation, like a bus, taxi, or plane. VA may also reimburse parking fees and tolls, as well as approved meals and lodging expenses related to health care travel. In addition, when it’s medically justified by a VA health care provider, a special mode of transportation, such as an ambulance or wheelchair van, may be approved for Veterans who are eligible.
Am I Eligible?
As a Veteran, you may be eligible for reimbursement if you’re traveling for care at a VA health facility or for VA-approved care at a non-VA health facility in your community. To be eligible, you must meet at least one of the following conditions:
- You have a VA disability
rating of 30% or higher. - You’re traveling for treatment of a service-connected condition, even if your VA disability rating is less than 30%.
- You receive a VA pension.
- You have an income that’s below the maximum annual VA pension rate.
- You can’t afford to pay for your travel, as defined by VA guidelines.
- You’re traveling for one of these reasons:
- You’re going to a scheduled VA claim exam (also called a compensation and pension, or C&P exam).
- You’re getting a service dog.
- You’re going for VA-approved transplant care.
As a caregiver, VA may pay for transportation and related lodging and meals if you meet one of these requirements:
- You are a family caregiver under the National Caregiver Program traveling to receive caregiver training or to support your Veteran’s care.
- You are a medically required attendant traveling to support your Veteran’s care.
- You are the transplant care donor or support person.
If you have questions about your eligibility, reach out to your VA facility’s Beneficiary Travel Department or call VA’s Beneficiary Travel Program call center at 855-574-7292.
How Do I Access This Benefit?
The easiest and fastest way to file a travel reimbursement claim is through VA’s Beneficiary Travel Self-Service System (BTSSS). Combining electronic filing through BTSSS with direct deposit is the fastest way to get your payment. You can log on anytime, from anywhere, using a phone, tablet, or computer. You can submit your claim, track it, and receive payment within three to five days on average.
While you can still file a paper claim or receive a paper check, paper methods take longer to process. Paper claims, which must be entered manually, require several days for processing and take even longer to receive if the payment is made by paper check. Some paper claims may take up to 45 days or more.
If you’ve never used BTSSS, here are some steps to take before you file your first claim:
- Set up direct deposit. With direct deposit, VA can deposit your reimbursement directly into your bank account. Direct deposit claims take less time to process, and you should receive your payment more quickly. Learn how to set up direct deposit for VA travel pay reimbursement.
- Keep your receipts. Keep receipts for all transportation and approved meals or lodging. Track your mileage to and from appointments.
- File your claim on time. You must file within 30 days of the appointment or when you become eligible for reimbursement.
Once you’ve taken care of these steps, here’s how to file:
- Sign in. Sign in to the
travel claim entry portal using an identity-verified account. Identity verification helps VA protect your information and prevent scammers from stealing your benefits. A verified account can be a login.gov or an ID.me account. If you don’t have an account, you can learn more about creating an account. - Go to your Beneficiary Travel profile. After you sign in, the BTSSS welcome page will load, and you can create a profile.
- Create and submit your claim. There are slightly different steps to take depending on the type of claim you’re making. You can read step-by-step directions for mileage-only claims, as well as for other travel expenses, to ensure you follow the right steps.
- Track your claim. After you submit your claim, the system will redirect you back to your BTSSS dashboard. You’ll find your claim listed in review status. You can track your claim and look for payment within three to five business days.
VA has a six-part series of YouTube videos that detail each step needed to make a successful travel reimbursement claim. You can learn how to create a login, set up direct deposit, submit a claim, and review your claim status.
Prioritize attending all of your important VA health care appointments, and get reimbursed for your travel expenses while you’re at it!