Editor’s note: This story was edited on 7/25/25 with updated information on the eligibility and filing process.
If you’re traveling for a VA authorized health care appointment, VA may reimburse you for travel costs, including mileage, tolls, parking and pre-authorized meals and lodging up to 50% of the government employee rate, receipts should also be provided to allow for processing , if you’re eligible. Your caregiver may be eligible for reimbursement as well
Filing a travel claim online is easy and the fastest way to receive reimbursement.
Let’s look at a few specifics of the program.
Who’s eligible?
VA offers travel benefits under the Beneficiary Travel Program: Mileage and Common Carrier reimbursement, and special mode transportation to any VA authorized appointment. You may be eligible if you:
- Have a service-connected rating of 30% or more.
- Are traveling for treatment of a service-connected condition.
- Receive a VA pension, or your income does not exceed the maximum annual VA pension.
- Are traveling for a scheduled compensation or pension exam.
- Have vision impairment, spinal cord injury or disorder, double or multiple amputation, enrollment in VA rehabilitation programs.
Eligible Veterans and Caregivers must submit reimbursement travel claims within 30 days of their VA-Authorized appointment. Certain travel reimbursement claims may be subject to a deductible.
Caregivers are also eligible for travel benefits when they are traveling with a Veteran who qualifies for the Beneficiary Travel Program.
There are a few other eligible groups. If you have questions about your eligibility, reach out to your facility’s Beneficiary Travel Department or call VA’s Beneficiary Travel toll-free call center at 855-574-7292. Hours: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.
What types of travel can VA provide or reimburse?
VA can reimburse eligible persons for mileage driven in a personal vehicle at a rate of .415 cents per mile.Transportation by a rideshare or public transportation, like a bus, taxi, or plane may also be reimbursed if pre-authorized. In addition, when 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 for beneficiary travel.
What is the best way to get paid back?
File a claim using the VA Health and Benefits App or VA.gov. Combining electronic filing with direct deposit is the fastest way to get your beneficiary travel payment. Veterans still have the ability to file for Beneficiary Travel utilizing VA Form 10-3542.
How to file a travel claim using VA.gov?
To get started, visit VA.gov and select sign in. You will be prompted to verify your identify by either login.gov or ID.me, Once you are logged in you can access your appointment through the MyHeathyVet Tab under past appointments.
“Using the digital claim options ensures accurate mileage calculations, faster claims processing and more log-in options,” said TaKeshia Trevino, chief of the Veterans Transportation Program at Oklahoma City VA Medical Center. “Veterans should absolutely use this system for eligible travel claims!”
Claim the benefits you earned
Submission through VA.Gov or VA Health and Benefits App means less waiting, easier reimbursing, and more chances to say, “cha-ching!
For more information about how to file for travel pay reimbursement, visit VA’s beneficiary travel webpage.
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Why is it I’m told that mine and my caretaker’s meals are to be only 50% of VA employees. This is on the form every time explaining why I can’t get paid for all our meals. From Sunday (travel) to Tuesday (travel) we only have 5 meals.
This article is deceptive!! (Caregivers are also eligible for travel benefits when they are traveling with a Veteran who qualifies for the Beneficiary Travel Program.)
I am a caregiver for my husband 100% disabled, requires 24hr care. I drive him to all appointments, take care of absolutely everything. I do submit travel reimbursement for all his appointments without any issues. After reading this article I submitted a paper claim for travel reimbursement for myself for three visits. The claim was quickly denied; I then called the travel office and was informed that caregivers do not get travel reimbursement only the Veteran can receive reimbursement since we travel together. If he is not able to file for himself, I can do it for him. Apparently, there is no such thing as travel benefit for caregivers!! He will never be able to go to any appointment on his own as most veterans can. I am his voice, and I am committed to make sure he receives the medical care he requires and will continue to make every appointment. I would like to know where Jason Strickland Chief Communications Officer, is getting this inaccurate information. I’m trying to track him down; this is wrong at so many levels.
Over the last 3 years, I have not gotten any where near that was due me. Over the last 3 years I am due over $3,000.00 that I will never get. 3 years ago, I had to get the Vets advocate and a U.S. Senator to help me get a little over $300.00 out of $2000.00 that was due me. I have been to the pay area, the head of the travel pay people, sent email to the head of the pay person, sent phone calls to the head of the pay office and on many times, I have driven round trips to just send the pay people a travel piece of paper to get my travel pay. I have written to the VA hospital where my pay travel is to get some help and have been ignored and not even a call, letter or email. I have written to Senators, Representatives and the President to try to get what was due me from travel pay. The people that handle the pay travel, has no clue as to what they are doing. They tell me to give them the correct paper work for travel pay and then tell me if it is not paid in 30 days, you just want get it. In the last month I have gotten a few travel pay money but by no means I don’t get it all.
I am not the only Vet that don’t get their travel money. There are thousands of them. If the Veterans leaders are just going to LIE to us all of us why do they tell us to turn travel pay and then don’t pay us. If we are not going to get paid then quick, lying to us and tell us to waste out time. We are all mad as hell that we are not getting our pay if we are due it. Either pay us or quick screwing with us.
How long do I have to wait before I get an answer l applied the beginning of July.
Thank You
Can’t get on website to get travel pay.
For community care the Anchorage VA requires a signed letter on the Dr. stationary with letterhead along with all receipts, vouching that you made the appointment. This of course takes time, if the Dr . agrees to provide.
Then Depending on which person reviews the claim, they decide if they reject the claim, via regular mail, which takes three weeks and then reject supplemental claims stating you did not file within 30 days of the appointment. I suspect this is due to an end of year bonus received by the department head for saving money throughout the year.
This is just one big bloody lie! I am the one and only veteran being treated at the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center in Aurora, CO for cancer of the spinal cord. In addition I was born with Poland’s Syndrome which I inherited from my father who was a Navy WW2 vet exposed to chemical warfare (which caused Poland’s Syndrome) and I have had 8 spinal fusions, 4 foot surgeries, and I’m on the waiting list for a total knee replacement due to ‘knock-knee’ all caused by Poland’s Syndrome. From 2015 thru 2018 I randomly received travel pay. The entire year of 2019 I was denied all of my travel pay and the VA stated this was due to the kiosk’s located in the front lobby when you walked in! From 2020 thru 2021 I received my travel pay. In 2022 I began a file of ‘paid’ vs. ‘unpaid’ claims. In 2023 I took the unpaid 2022 claims in and they finally paid them in bulk and in 2024 I took the unpaid 2023 claims in and they paid them in bulk. But, in 2025 I took the unpaid 2024 claims in and they refused to pay me stating that I was listed as ‘low income’ but they determined that I am not low income. To receive travel pay my income had to be less than $9,000 per year. My only sources of income are SSA and 10% Disability from the VA. I took my grievance to the Office of Connected Care. This office filed three (3) complaints with Travel Pay. They also advised me that SSA is ‘exempt’ income which only leaves my 10% Disability which is only $4,000 per year. Approximately two months later,( June 2025) I received a voicemail from a man named Tim in Travel Pay advising he was sending me the status of all of my unpaid travel claims from 2024 and 2025. I received two pages from Tim in an envelope which list the unpaid travel claims (approximately 16) with no explanation for why they were denied. I wrote Tim a letter and asked specifically why they were denied. I sent that letter to him both registered mail and certified mail. However, it has been my experience when I send any written correspondence to the VA both registered mail and certified mail that the mail room either refuses it when the United States Post Office tried to deliver it to them or they throw it in the trash and the party it was meant for never has any idea. It has not been 30 days. I have not received a ‘signature’ card back from the USPS yet showing the mail room’s response. Be advised I also wrote to the new head of the the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center in Aurora, CO – Michael Moore, in March 2025 about this very issue and he too could not be bothered to reply. Now you can see the scam that Travel Pay actually is.
Hey you guys have computers right how hard is it to connect to care givers. Why doesn’t the computer I swipe card in, not connected to your computer. This all BS just to give some GS 9 or whatever a job. Give me a break.
I think this is a sham. Last I put in for travel it was for about $130 dollars because I hat to travel to Northport from Cape Coral to a dentist that that was on your list. Not only did I not get reimbursed but you ignored me every time I tried to contact you. It’s to much Hassel trying to get money I’m owed. So I quit trying.
I suggest that VA needs to hire more people solely for travel reimbursements to speed up payment. I am also waiting to get reimbursed for my last 3 transactions in “manual review status ” more than a month now. Is the VA Regional director able to see all the comments here?
In Oregon they stopped paying travel for appointments at the Portland VA. It’s several hundred miles and I was paid $5 because I live close to another VA facility that doesn’t offer the type of care I received. I will just go without care, because it’s too much hassle.
Yeah, until some shipdit sitting behind a desk decides you only get a portion of alloted amount because they decided that you could’ve gotten care at a closer facility, regardless of weather you were seeing a specific specialist !! Next time I need to schedule an appointment with a specialist, I’ll check with travel pay to make sure it’s approved.
How are the travel reimbursements reimbursed to caregiver/wife/transporter to appointments? I bring my husband to many VA appointments. I fill out the Veteran Beneficiary Claim for Reimbursement of Travel Expenses form (paper) but haven’t seen anything via mail since there is no banking info on me in file. How long does it take to be reimbursed & method used for reimbursement? Please advise.
Imagine being approved for a pension increase to 40% in August of 2024 and the awards letter contains an effective date going back to January of 2024.This means that all visits BEFORE the increase should make the veteran eligible for reimbursement. Not so, says the local VA office for reimbursement. Their position is that one must file within 30 days of the visit and therefore, any visits prior to this shall NOT be honored. Note that the awards letter specifically mentions exceptions to the 30 day rule. I tried to get someone with authority to help. So far, not so good. In closing, I thought it was me as one of the few with this problem. It turns out that there are legions of veterans in the same predicament. I will provide any information to share with others. That is, if i am successful in the end.
I’ve tried to get reimbursed for travel for over 2 years. I filed a claim and the VA closed it with virtually no response other than there was nothing they could do. I don’t understand why I have to provide a proof of visit to outside doctors. I confirm the appointment prior to going and after I return. This is ridiculous. If I confirm that I attended the appointment and they pay. Why do I need to give the VA proof that I attended? I have so many travel claims denied due not enough evidence. Very frustrating.
So I received forms for reimbursement when I travel just across town but when I drive from miner Missouri to poplar bluff VA facility I don’t qualify …..and have never understood but it’s ok – I’m used to it .
I preferred it when I was able to get cash at the VA for travel. The new system sucks. The Minneapolis VA is 3 months behind on claims.
why do veterans, specially those over 70 are required to fill out paperwork to claim our reimbursersement ? why dont the VA give to us automatically ? most people that age are already home from the appointment and no VA employees reming them to fill aout the travel pay , very convenient for the VA, I wonder where is that money going, please do something about it, we already did a lot for you!!!
I get paid for 60 miles even if I travel 200 miles to a care in the community appointment reason is Walla Walla travel uses the reason it’s the law you can only claim to the nearest VA Facility . So I went there and asked to use that facility as my VA. The answer was no it was to full that they had no more room for veterans use the care in the community.
This article makes it seem simple to file a travel reimbursement claim online easy it’s not I repeat it is not. The system seems to lock up and trying to upload documents is difficult and I have had back to back appointments tried enter information for these appointments for reimbursement they are often denied.
One more try here ..( two failures to post ) VA sent me to a Urology Dr July 1 and I used the mileage form and asked them to sign a note I was there and filed them both with the VA ..Yesterday two VA mail letters : First showing the VA paid the Dr I saw and the second was a denial from the VA of the mileage because ” Proof of appointment completed must come from the provider with the facility and date of service ” … which I gave them when I turned it in . Did they even read the forms I filed with them ?
July 1, 2025 the VA sent me to a local Urologist ( not a VA Dr.) and I filled out the regular mileage form and got a not signed by the place I was going to that I was there . Yesterday ..two VA letters . One confirming that the VA paid the Urologist and then the second a three page letter denying me milage because ….”proof of appointment completed must come from the provider with facility and date of service “. So they paid the Urologist but denied me despite my form and a note from the Urologist office that I was there .
Was much simpler when you just scanned your health card in a kiosk at check-in!!
Why does it take so long to get my travel pay? It didn’t used to.
We do get milage reimbursement. Round trip from driveway to driveway 43.6 miles. We were being paid $24.53 for a while now it down to $22.29. VA is cheap. Gas is up as well. We live in Cheboygan Michigan. They need to according to our odometer. There are longer ways to go if they want me too but then we would have to leave the house sooner. We been driving to Indian river from Cheboygan from where we live for decades. Cheboygan is a big county so vets are going to be taking different roads. Every one in our that lives in the town of Cheboygan takes Straits HWY. Anyone else have paying issues/
The kiosks the VA spent so much money on and they worked VERY WELL. I wonder why they cancelled their usage and now have made things more difficult? Asking for a friend.
I had a doctor appointment at my local VA clinic Tuesday of this week and I claimed travel that evening using the BTSSS system. I received payment today, Friday, by direct deposit. Payment within 3 days shows that the system worked well for me.
I have not been paid for travel reimbursement since it went to the new system back in 2019 or whenever it changed. I made sure to have it documented after every visit but nothing ever paid. Im looking for travel from my home in Stamps, Arkansas to the CBOC in Texarkana from 2019 to 2021. Who can help with that?!?!?!
It should be emphasized to vets applying for travel reimbursement, that if their care is COMMUNITY BASED, they are required to submit not only the application for reimbursement, but also a note from the clinic documenting they did go to that appointment.
This a bunch of idiots that come up with this system! I use to get reimbursed the same day at the VA facility or male form to VA for sale Huntington West Virginia never received one dime from the system for years. They just figured out a way to screw the veteran out of money.. most of veterans and computer savvy so we just get screwed out of it!
The Porto Rico V.A. Is untouchable they do whatever they want and paying TRAVEL is off the book. They don’t pay for anything. They do as Trump does shaft everyone. F/U they know they can get away with everything.
They hope you die so you can not bother them !!!
Trump has done A much better job for the USA citizens than the F’g Bidum administration did in 4 yrs idiot!!
Te us what Bidum ever did for Vets??
Well, since you asked:
Key Accomplishments of the Biden Administration for Veterans
Expansion of Health Care and Benefits
PACT Act: This law significantly expands VA health care and benefits for veterans exposed to toxic substances, including burn pits and Agent Orange. It adds over 20 presumptive conditions for these exposures, allowing millions of veterans to access necessary care.
Increased Funding: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has seen a substantial increase in funding for health care services, including a doubling of annual funding for sexual assault prevention and survivor support.
Support for Military Families
Pay and Food Security: Since January 2021, base pay for service members has increased by nearly 14.5%. The Department of Defense (DoD) has also implemented strategies to improve food security for military families.
Health Care Access: New policies have been introduced to enhance access to reproductive health care for service members and their families, ensuring they can make personal health decisions without barriers.
Addressing Homelessness
Reduction in Veteran Homelessness: The Biden administration has achieved a record low in veteran homelessness, with a 7.5% decrease from the previous year. This includes permanent housing solutions for nearly 48,000 veterans in one year.
Reforming Military Justice
Military Justice System Overhaul: Comprehensive reforms have been made to the military justice system to better protect survivors of sexual assault and harassment, resulting in a notable decline in reported incidents.
These initiatives reflect a commitment to improving the lives of veterans and their families, addressing both immediate needs and long-term challenges.
National Archives National Association of Counties
I haven’t been reimbursed for travel for the last four months, even though I mail in the correct form to the Iron Mountain VA. Several dozen travel forms have been submitted. Any hope of payment?
I just found out that the Minneapolis VA is 3 months behind on their community Care claims. Because those claims are manually reviewed.
WHY IS IT SOO HARD TO GET PAID BRIDGE & ROAD TOLLS REFUNDED ??
Why don’t they add the BTSSS to the VA App?
I am a Veteran now living outside US. I having hard time logging to VA and DOD websites. I am frustrated to use ID me apps for my health and wellness.
I have filed many times over the past 2 years and been rejected because I’m not disabled and not retired. I am a Desert Storm Veteran and have been being treated by a psychiatrist and counselor at Marion VA in Indiana for PTSD for said war. Also to chiropractic and massage for same thing. I do not have my disability rating yet( I have put in for it several times. Still awaiting last time. One of the things you said above was if I am being treated for something service related. I believe my medical records with Marian VA in Indiana speak for themselves. I am 45 minute drive one way to this closest VA and am sent into the community many times. I have gotten so tired of every rejection that I have given up. Either you mean service connected or you don’t! I guess my congressman is next on my list.Or military Chief Pete Hogsted.
Wtf, I can’t even understand you. I used to be able to give my ID and they would do it for me at my appointments… y’all are lazy AF and on our dollar on top of it…
Make us jump through hoops all day… that’s your job…
please think about what you just said. I mean you’re calling them lazyAF and at the same time saying you could give them your ID and they’d do it for you. they were helping you out, but it made YOU lazy sir. I don ‘t like jumping through hoops all day either, but is putting you in for reimbursement really their job?
System is broken. I have not received travel pay for my last three visits. Worked fine when they had the kiosk at the VA facilities. Ever since the implemented the new system, it’s been a mess..
ive got 9 out there in no banking space, after the last update they lost my updated banking ino. 150.00+ floating around. been dealing with this problem from jult 8 and today i got someone who maybe knew what he was talking about. good luck.
Do I have to get approval when I stay at city of hope. I have cancer and city of hope is almost a 3 hr drive from my home. And sometimes I have to spend the night. Who do I call each time I have to spend the night
Having trouble getting my travel
The VA sent me to Lubbock, Tx for a major colon surgery. I had to make several trips prior to surgery & several after. These trips also included some overnight motel stays plus meals. Was denied any reimbursement.
The surgeon said that there were surgeons in Abilene he could refer me to that performed this type of surgery, but, didn’t want to start over with tests, etc.
This isn’t easy on retirement.
Filing a reimbursements at the Travel office, is a JOKE!!
Since July 7th of 2024 through Sep 11, 2024, I have claimed 3 reimbursements for transportations of my husband for appointments that the travel office FAILED to coordinate with the “paramedics’ ambulance company, causing the hassle of paying the invoice from the pocket (credit cards) each time, in order to keep the long waited appointment. The total of those 3 claims is a $3,422.21
After a total of 17 trips to 2 different VA travel Offices of the area and getting 3 personal encounters with the head of the Main Travel Office in Orlando, FL always received a TOTAL incompetence, no due diligence or any accountability answers and results “0”; NOTHING.
Last JUNE 11, 2025 I went directly to the Patient’s Advocate to make a Formal complaint Claim about the TOTAL Disregard for the Veterans and or the Caregiver, and once again for the 4th time all my PAID invoices, including each used card statement for each charge, were scanned to the system, supposedly for positive results of the LONG WAITED REIMBURSEMENT…
YEAH right, once again, the moment that I walked out of the office, Nothing ever happen. SAD, SHAMEFUL
ITS TIME FOR THE VETERANS AFFAIRS ADMINISTRATION, TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY for the self inflicted mess.
BTSSS system is poor at best. For VA facility visits it’s best to use the building kiosk. BTSSS can not handle community care appointments. Because VA requires verification, BTSSS does not provide for visit verification. Also, BTSSS does not notify the vet if travel was not processed or not approved. Vets probably lose thousands if not millions every year because the system does not tell the vet that a request was denied or lost. When a vet does receive payment, the system does not match the payment with a particular request. The vet has no way to know which payment was for which request.
I’m all the time traveling from Greenwood to Greenville outpatient clinic and I fill out the travel voucher. I’m I doing it right???
In 2025, with technology so advanced, we still have to fill out another form for a few dollars. After the Veteran checks in/out of his/her appointment, there should be an alert sent to the travel department that the Veteran has Completed their appointment. The VA knows our address and the clinics address, so why not have the travel fee forwarded to our bank account. I have missed several travel fees due forgetting to file or missed the cutoff date. VA you must do better by us aging Veterans. Please make simpler for us.
It’s hard to fill out so sometimes you just keep your money
The fact that the VA assigns the veteran to be at a specific location at a specific time for a specific appointment and then Travel “decides” (after the fact) that you, the militarily trained patient, should have broken character and chosen for yourself to go to some other unknown closer location is counterintuitive, at best.
I think if every veteran out there developed the superior intelligence needed to navigate this travel pay system that the VA might go destitute within a week. The system is so complicated so as to prevent this from happening. I’m not a MENSA genius and if I was I’d never have entered the military. This complication was created by design to keep the travel pay out of the hands of disabled veterans.
The Seattle VA Hospital is more than two years in arrears in reimbursement. I have pleaded with them to get caught up.
I have a question on travel reimbursement, sir. Why would the VA Make deduction to our travel reimbursement pay on every claim made? And its way more than the reimbursement we/I got its more than 30% on every claim. Why is that?
WHY DOES VA CHARGE TAXES ON TRAVEL PAY
So far the–extremely lengthy–site has worked for us. But so far, we’ve only applied for the mileage. My husband will be having surgery next week and spending at least 1 night in the hospital. I will check into a motel rather than drive home 100 miles and drive back early the next morning. I’ll have meals to buy, too. BK and McD are fine for lunch, but I want a dinner that includes salad and a baked potato. It will be interesting to see how that works as opposed to a mileage-only claim.
Receive a VA pension, or your income does not exceed the maximum annual VA pension.
What is the maximum annual VA pension for this purpose?
Last time I applied for reimbursement going to Lions they turned me down that was two years ago has it changed?
I have to.
Travel twice a week to nonconnah or Jefferson, location 2 days a week about.
About 40 miles per week.ive been driving there since the end of may,2025
The
va id card was easy and simple, took no time and I was done. I am 84, and do not like or understand computers. The new system is HORSE SHIT, but achieving its goal of preventing old timers fron collecting. So far it has cost me hundreds of dollars It sucks
I’ve filed countless claims online & not received reimbursement.
I never had that issue when I was allowed to turn in paper travel
reimbursement forms.
I have been filling but no money this year, BTSSS says claim paid but not to my account.
We stopped getting reimbursement for travel years ago in Germany, and several times recently have been sent to doctors 2-3 hours away. Also, travel here costs much more than in the U.S.
Can you explain what is needed and how to file for travel when an approval is issued for Community Care services are completed!
That’s a question I have been trying an answer going on 7 months. Still waiting. Good luck.
Don’t forget you only have 30 day’s to file so if you’re having major surgery like I did (double lung transplant) , my claim was denied. What they don’t take into account is you’ll be down longer than 30 day’s. !!!!!!
Same thing happened to Me I had major surgery (Whipple) was in hospital two weeks, and laid up at home for three weeks. Filled out forms at local VA clinic had letter from my Dr giving dates of Lab, CAT SCAN and surgery.
Denied claim because it was over 30 days..B.S.
ever since the day of George Washington, the US government has lied to and screwed over US Veterans…..my uncle was with the 5th Army when the took Sicily and Italy came with PTSD and never got any help….I was in Vietnam got out in ’67 and never got any help until 2004, when I was pounding on the psych window of the VA and a psych nurse ran out grab me into her office and said that I can’t do that or they’d call the police and have me arrested…….thank goodness for at least one person in the VA who helped me
I am losing money every month trying ro sign up and sign in…just takes me back to the starting point.
Getting my trave was so much easier when the kiosks were in place…who thought that doing this on line would be better…BRING BACK THE KIOSKS…
I have yet to get signed up a rightnd have lost thousands in travel reimbursements….
I have filed for travel expenses, and they require you to jump through hoops, but still don’t reimburse me. My travel route is Cape Coral, FL, to Tampa, FL. I’m thinking about cancelling further appointments because it is too much trouble getting there.
If care is reimbursed by another insurance company such as Medicare orvtri care for life, they will not pay for travel They will deny because VA didn’t pay for the care. There is notheron line that indicates VA must pay if you read their on line information or above article.
We have been told for YEARS that we can get reimbursement for travel. We have to drive over 150 miles to the nearest (main) VA hospital, for specialty clinics. We no longer get reimbursement or hotel. We have tried to file a claim, but nothing. And it’s worse in the winter time. We have to climb over 4000 feet just to get over the mountain. And in the wintertime, we can get stuck on the mountain in the snow. If we do not make to the appointment on time, it’s canceled. We have a 5 hour window to make the appointment. It takes 2.50 hours to get to the PVAMC . You get stuck in the snow, some times up to hours. Your on top of a snow cover mountain and get no “cell phone service”. So you can t call to explain. (We were even told, by a VA rep, “No one told you to move to Central Oregon”..) So we have to go the night before. And no reimbursement for hotel. Or, that choice of VA hotel , are TRASH!
I hate to say it ,but your advise on how to get your travel pay is all BS. I have had claims in since the first of April 2025 and to date i have not seen one single penny in my bank account. That is a total of 14. There are more to come.
I can see by all of the complaiints here that all they are used for is toilet paper. It seems that the system has NOT changed a bit.
Now we all know that this is typical GOVERNMENT operations. State your complaint in writing. Send it in. ROUND FILE here you go.
Same old BULL SHIT. NOTH EVER CHANGES………..
It is called a WASTE of TIME… I would guess that the ROUND FILE is pretty full by now.
Getting travel pay for VA outsourced services is a pain. Manual Review can take months. That is one area that needs to be fixed.
It doesn’t work.
DON’T RELEAST IT TOOLS UNTIL FULLY TESTED AND WORKING FINE!
The VA comes up with a new tool and advertises and it never works for ages, disgusting.
Was referred by my local VA to another VA facility about an hour and a half away for an appointment because there were no available appointments for that specific requirement available. Was reimbursed 11 cents for the round trip. How does that make sense?
Back in the days after all your medical appointments walking in to the VA Regional Clinic. While waiting for your refill from the Pharmacy. You turn in your travel voucher travel receipts or trip ticket to cashers cage and wait for your name to get called and get paid no problem before signing out of the building.
I haven’t been paid travel pay on and off for over a year, that 5-to-7-day pay is bull.
Regarding Travel Reimbursement Applications. Only a few regions support electronic billing. The rest of us, especially the NW, have to do paper filing and that takes a freaking month or two. The VA centers do not even have forms out to access. There is no support for manual applications! Some entries have to be a VA allowed/designated phrase or expression and there is no sample sheet. Online help thinks that it is helpful but many Vets have given up trying, not worth their time.
This whole travel reimbursement system is F@BAR. I have filed repeatedly online and nothing happens. Yet, they continue to send me things in the mail saying I am eligible. This is how us Vets get treated. What a downer.
This has been a thorn in my shoe/side whatever for a very long time. My VA provider is Mather in Sacramento, Ca. When i go to my podiatrist at Mcclellan, immediately after check in i get a pink on my phone asking if i want to file for VA travel. I accept and verify a couple of items and wham bam thank you ma its done. But when i go to the dentist 100 yds away at McClellan or at Mather I still have to file the paperwork. At Mather for some visits i get a ping and do all the right things then unlike McClellan it tells me wooops sorry we cant do the magical VA travel reimbursement. I have told the authorities at Mather about this several times and all i get is “there is a glitch in the system”. Soooo fix it i say. Now if the VA with all its power was to tell the computer program provider we are cancelling your contract unless you fix this immediately my bet is it would be fixed.
The va picks & chooses what they will reimburse. My voichers are done correctly & my proof of attendance is uploaded, yet it will be denied for NO reason!! Then i have to file a supplimental voucher to get considered for reimbursement!!!
The va schedulars will only reimburse to what they consider the nearest facility even though they initially assign you to the one with the soonest appt!!!
Then when i have 2 appt on the same day, the va will only reimburse one! Its like they want to torture us making us go to only one appt a day. Some of us could go to a dr 5 days a week with the health issues we have!!!!
We are at the mercy of the scheduling system, be it va or community care. I’ve had to wait 6 mos before i’ve had an appt & if another provider only has an appt on that day, i’m forced to schedule.
Travel reimbursement is a farce because i’m docked pay to pay for others reimbursement!!! Its bs. 100% p&t should not have to pay for others with less disability. If the va is going to reimburse 30% or higher travel, it should be 100%, otherwise it should only cover 100% p&t individual’s travel.
People that work for the va are on a gs federal payscale and senior management are 12s & higher. Its a farce they get paid triple digits, yet veterans can’t even get 100% of their pay reimbursed!!
I scanned all my work excuses for my acupuncture community provider for each appointment and they were all denied except for a couple. The reason they sent me was they didn’t have the work excuse showing that I actually went on that particular date but if they looked through that scan, it definitely was in there. So I had to resubmit them all separately for each date. I even called the Kerville office and talked to Dave prior to scanning them all individually and he told me to mail them to him and I did, attaching each work excuse to each appointment. So I guess I wasted my $14 and time at the post office. It is also very frustrating to see so many travel claims on the portal. There needs to be a way to hide all the ones that were completed.
how much is the yearly salary for a vet to receive compensation for travel
I will be traveling to Albuquerque from El Paso in September for an eye Dr visit can I get reimbursed for this?
I filed for reimbursement for 65 miles to an appointment. They denied me because the paperwork incorrectly said I was served at the VA hospital instead of community care. I never was reimbursed.
I appreciate that you took time to publish this snippet of information; however the real truth is that the VA I go to Jack C Montgomery Va Hospital in Muskogee, Oklahoma is so far behind. I have more than 20 visits that are still unpaid. And when I visited the business office and inquired about it, I was told the claims were never submitted and that I’d have to re submit them. Wow-
If you go to BTSSS you have to upload the providers header page and I don’t know how to upload. So the travel department is working on December claims so they are behind, I was told ! so if I file by paper it going to take a year to get reimbursement for travel, can I resubmit those claims from June to July on the web site.
Just got my V A ID what do I need to do now?
You can also now use the VA Health and Benefits app to submit travel reimbursements to VA facilities (not care in the community) really easily.
B.S. No x-ray support at Saint Augustine clinic so have to go to Jacksonville a 75 mile trip. Turned down 3 times for travel due to the fact it is a walk in clinic. Was told months later I should have been payed for half the distance.
I wish this was true. I get 70% disability and I went to the travel office and they told me I had to bring in all my paperwork. Doesn’t VA have an electronic way to pull up my records.
I was meet by a VA representative at the VA outpatient clinic in NPR Florida 2 years ago and her and I filled out all the necessary paperwork so I could get reimbursed for my travel expenses. I received 2 installments and when I tried to submit after that didn’t get any response. So I quit trying.
The pass 12 years I have come up short on my travel pay ? I have been traveling to Gainsville fl to the VA hospital and Dermatology? I have filled 8 travel pay ? Only got 2 ? I got my statement they didn’t want to see it ? All my Fault
The VA is supposed to furnish transportation back-and-forth to Gainsville for my appointments the day of my appointment nobody showed up to pick me up to take me to Gainsville been waiting over four years for this appointment. I asked my neighbor to take me. I told him I pay $25 an hour Six hours a file travel pay again and explain the situation they can’t pay me.
IF YOU PICKED A VA FACILITY WHEN YOU SIGNED UP, LEBANON HOSP PA.AN HAVE ALL YOUR DOCTORS AND TREATMENTS THERE AND WERE RECIEVING MILAGE BENEFITS ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT SOME MEMBER OF CONGRESS PASSED A LAW THAT CHANGED THAT POLICY
NOW THE NEW LAW SAYS YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE NEAREST FACILITY (COATSVILLE PA) WHERE YOU LIVE OR GET PRO-RATED MILAGE WHICH I AM NOW RECEIVING TRAVEL RATES FOR.I LIKE MY TREATMENT,DOCTORS AND LEBANON VA FACILITIES
I have to travel almost 50 miles one way but I’m not eligible.
Seems like every VA facility does what it wants and no Federal standard to comply with the rules of the VA laws!
Why is there a $18 monthly deductable on veteran’s travel? they claim that it supports DAV vans, is this correct?
I had a med which was required to be kept frozen, VA claimed it couldn’t be shipped by any means, I had to come get it. So I drove the 80 mile round trip through Atlanta traffic, got the med on the second try ( they let it expire in the freezer without notifying me it was available). Filed the BTSSSSS on line, NOPE TRAVEL NOT APPROVED.
When ever the VA left the clinics and hospitals where they used to do the milage now it in gainsville and it takes for ever to get reimbursed for you milage go back to the old way of doing things
The BTSS system may be faster in other locations. The Ann Arbor VA prints all the electronically filed forms and processes them at the end of the month after the submitted paper forms are cleared. So it can take well over a month for a payment. And then let’s not forget about the $6 dollars they are going to take from the first three payments of each month for homeless veterans. Something they don’t even tell you that you are forced to donate to. Or the fact they will reduce your pay because they choose where you get some services completed. If they find a closer facility but you have been established at a further facility you will be reduced. Not that your even asked if you would want to go to a closer facility. Lots of hidden information that until you ask questions you will not know because it’s not transparent.
Travel pay, has not been updated for over 20 years. They pay .43 cents a mile. Based on gas prices from 20 years ago. Gas was not $2.90 a gallon. Gas was $1.50. In 2005.
Unless your income is considered below the National income, you can keep the full amount for travel. IF you make the National income or over, they will take a deductible from your travel. The deductible is used to pay for another Vets travel.
My opinion is this, my travel pay is a benefit given to me by the Government.They should not take money from my benefits to help pay for a benefit of paying the benefits of another Vet that should be getting paid the full amount from the Government and not out of MY benefits. I love to see Vets getting what they deserve, and benefits they meet the eligibility.
It’s like socialism taking money from me to help pay someone else. I can bet you not one VA person working at the VA would want part of their paycheck going to help pay other employees, so they can hire more employees. JMO
I have checked into travel pay prior to this and discovered that only certain vets are qualified. I do not envy the veterans who have service related injuries, combat experience or career disabilities. What I am against is “value qualified” based on income.
If I got out of the service and worked hard to accomplish better things in life, I should be just as eligible for travel pay as any vet who has the same type of service record that I have, but receives travel pay because of lower net income, possessions or pensions.
Despite having filled out the forms repeatedly over the years, I still have not received reimbursement for my travels from Klamath Falls, Oregon to the medical facilities in White City, Oregon.
I have had nothing but problems when dealing with the VA Beneficiary Travel people in Long Beach. They even refused to process an appeal and would not tell me who their regional supervisor is
I’ve been filing form for the last 1-1/2 years for dental appointment at Mare Island in Vallejo, Ca.
Also, hearing aid replacement kit. Left several messages. No return from department.
And they still send the travel pay to a closed checking account not the one that’s one file
Robert,
this is common as the VA Bene Travel is paid thru Veterans Healthcare. I’m assuming that you are referring to the account info you have on file with VBA when you receive your disability or education pay. VBA and VHA are two separate VA organizations and the account info isn’t linked together. Once this is explained then they understand. you can go to the VA’s Customer Engagement POrtal to update your file :
To access the site, please go to the VA’s Customer Engagement Portal at https://www.cep.fsc.va.gov. From there, select ‘Payment Account Setup and Updates’, then click ‘Login’ to go to the sign-in page. If you have questions, please call 1-877-353-9791 or email vafsccshd@mail.va.gov. You will also need an ID.me login. There are links on the Engagement Portal to establish one.
Just another ploy to grift off of the most disabled and least able to jump through all these hoops, and fight battles over denied claims and here’s the proof: Va knows where we live, they know when and where our appointments are and only go by their bing maps as to distance
If they weren’t all about grifting off the most disabled among us who can’t mange all that ( and by the way if you do get to it but ‘too late’? You don’t get paid)
Just. Send. Us. The. Darn. Reimbursement. You. Already. Have. All. The. Details
It still takes up six weeks or longer to get your travel pay back.
i live in the philippines an i dont get reimbursed for travel or any thing else. no lodging or food. i am 100 percent disabled an i have to travel to manilla an this is just wrong
Please make sure that you get your claim for travel filed within 30 days of your visit. And then make sure that they have okayed it. I had two cases where I didn’t file my claim properly and the claims were denied. When I called the San Francisco, VA travel department for help, and it’s a nightmare getting through to them, being stuck on hold for an hour, and then having the call drop out, etc. There seems to be no way to leave a rebuttal on the denied claim, asking them to look at things that they apparently are not aware of. Very frustrating. Where do I go next?
….yeah, except for the fact that they cut so many jobs that we are now over two months of “manual reviews”….I guess they don’t really want us to get the medical support we were promised….
Travel expenses include meals for the patient and attendant must be submitted within 30 days of the appointment. Pre-approval for hotel and meals is required. Request for hotel and meals can be given to any medical/administrative personnel in the clinic that requests the appointment, the social worker, or directly to travel pay office and must be approved before the date of travel. When asking for the approval, be sure to inform the clinic person to notify Travel Pay. (Many do not know what to do.) Be sure to follow up to make sure the request was received by Travel Pay. The amount of reimbursement is up to one half of the GSA rates and includes taxes. When filing for the refund, a copy of the receipt is required. The receipt graphic file can be uploaded online or may be mailed to travel pay. For GSA rates search GSA per deim rates.
Can I be reimbursed for travel that is over 30 days? I was attending physical therapy for several months and didn’t file until after completing the therapy. I was denied reimbursement do to 30 day filing restriction.
Joh, that is unfortunate. You would need to file within 30 days of your appointment, not when done with all of your therapy sessions.
I had major vascular surgery procedure done at Portland VA hospital 06/02/25 which required a driver upon release,there were complications and had to stay 4 days instead not day release my driver had to return home and come back ..2 trips,was reimbursed for one trip,denied secondary one way have argued with reimbursement office,and consulted patient advocate,STILL no result..zi paid driver 100.00$ out of pocket please help
Leif Harald Pedersen
Is mileage reimbursement for va locations only, or can we receive mileage for community care also?
I’m a Viet Nam vet, 100% disability, 6 weeks radiation, filed travel reimbursement thru BTSS, first 3 weeks reimbursement paid, it’s been over 90 days without remainder of second 3 weeks being paid. VA travel so far behind no estimate on any reimbursement payment.
5 to 7 days. Not in my experience. I have a claim going back to march. 4 claims more than a month. Only the va could “automate a system and slow it down. BTSSS
Your article on V.A. travel sounds great. Unfortunately in Alaska it is more like 30 to 60 days through BTSS even when supporting documentation is submitted. I have direct deposit.
I travel 4 times a year to the Richmond VAHMC on Broad Rock Rd. in Richmond Virginia. I always wait at least TWO MONTHS before I get my travel pay. Plus, the pay is based on a route that I do not use. I do not wish to travel through “questionable” areas for my appointments. The reimbursement that I do receive for the mileage I travel doesn’t even come close to the mileage I travel. My actual mileage is 28.5 miles ONE WAY or 57 miles round trip! I NEVER GET PAID FOR THE MILES I TRAVEL! What can I do to make sure that I receive the mileage reimbursement that I am due? I’m na 100% service connected disabled veteran.
Paper checks are going away come September as per Treasury, sign up for EFT.
Travel reimbursement was halted for Manila VA clinic years ago. All is out of pocket now.
The VA has deliberately made requesting travel pay as hard as possible seemingly to reduce how much it shells out. There was a good system where you could use the kiosk at the VA. It was easy and worked fine. Then they found a need to fix something that was not broken. I have not been able to “log in” for months because they decided to fix that too! Website?
Yes hear you loud & clear… We in the Philippines has the ONLY VA clinic outside the US.. 10/15 years ago we got travel pay but now we don’t……. WHY We are authorized… PLS send to whom ever is in charge to change this… From coming from down south Mindanao for a two day Appt it may cost us 700-900 $$$
What is the income requirement in order to receive re- imbusement for travel ?
Have not received reimbursement for numerous claims for over 6 months. When I asked about this at the Houston VA hospital a couple of weeks ago, I was told they were still working on claims for Nov. 2024. Imagine that.
A VA employee hit the wrong name and showed me as deceased on 09 DEC 2024. Immediately, my DAV @100% pay stopped, all my medical appointments were canceled, and my 20+ prescriptions were shut off! This included my pain meds and medical food for my feeding tube machine. I fought and was ignored for four months before finally getting my new claim accepted. Then the SSA office followed suit after receiving that erroneous VA information. Well, this resulted in the VA marking me as deceased AGAIN in June! 45 days later and I’m still waiting for the claims office to bring me back to life! I’m on Step 3 of 5 in the process of the VA claims process!
[Editor: Sorry to hear about this Mark, but thanks for sharing. We’ve passed this note along, as well as the email you provided, to the Veterans Experience Office. “VEO” is just the VA office name, and they are officially VA.]
Why should a Service connected veteran at 10% disability not get reimbursement
for travel mileage$
They won’t pay you to see your doctor that’s is 30 miles way, if there is a VA facility closer to you.
Your system sucks it’s not easy to use and very confusing!
This system is completely broken. I am 30% disabled vet. I have had nearly all my travel claims denied when traveling on authorized Community Care appointments out of town because they are not available where I live (Roseburg, OR). I send in form 10-3542 and documentation from the provider to the Roseburg VAMC. A number of them have been denied because the examiner believes the appointments were not authorized. Every single one WAS authorized. It appears that the travel office and the Community Care office cannot communicate with each other. While there is a mechanism for protesting the decision, it is complicated and a real hassle. I just resign myself to the fact that the process is broken and suffer with frustation. Thanks for the opportunity to comment.
The BTSSS system in Northern California between SFVA, Mather VA, and Palo Alto is totally broken. I’ve submitted 10 requests over the last year. 3 have been paid. They apparently don’t have a record of the other 7. They amount to well over $800 including bridge tolls. I’ve called the reimbursement offices and met with Veteran’s Advocate. They advised I resubmit all requests but I don’t have copies.
Is there a mileage restriction on travel for VA treatment?
Does the caregiver get travel pay to besides the veteran or just one of you. On 100% service connected.
I filed on line,paper and on the computer at the clinic for about two years have not received anything. Had a Lady with the VA to help and the next day it said incomplete and did not tell what was incomplete. This happened every time I filed on line.
I have community care and often the appointments are not on my appointments list. I have travelled multiple times to an appointment that is 70 miles one way what do I do when I can’t find the appointment on that appointments list?
Important article. It would be beneficial to report on the online system. How to access maybe a how to overview. Many older veterans struggle understanding software programs.
I have claims that are more than 3 months old. BTSS says it is under manual review. I had a claim paid in May for a travel that was in January. I was told this week that they are still processing December claims. That was the same thing I was told when I inquired about my January claim in April. So stating 3-4 days is false. I currently have more than 15 claims under manual review for physical therapy appointments that have been approved through Community Care.
For the first time ever I am being charged a deductible for my Travel reimbursement? What is that about??????
How long does it take once forms are in a VA facility?
If the VA knows we have an appointment, they call to confirm the appt, they text to see if I went to my appt, but I still have to file. With technology today why do I even have to file for travel? Make things more simple and someone create a program that will do it automatically! There is no argument for the VA not knowing, even for community care, that I had an appt and I went to the appt after they send a text confirming whether or not I went to my appt. I guarantee if I say “yes” to the text and I didn’t go, the VA would jump on the false statement faster than me hitting the “send” button. The VA needs to change their mantra of making the patient, Veteran do their job for everything. They make us run down records even after they have every record we have, they make us, or some external entity write-up why we deserve benefits quoting the VA regulation when all the VA needs to do is get some AI program to scan our electronic documents. Sadly the VA is always trying to find a way to not pay what we deserve which is the ONLY reason the system is the way it is!
The travel pay system does not work! my last appointment out of town was 70 miles one way I made this trip twice. It never showed up in my appointments list. I tried calling travel Pay nobody answered. I left messages and nobody ever called me back. In the end the 30 days I have two submit this claim lapsed and I never was able to submit a claim and there was no help out there why is it so hard for somebody on community care to easily navigate the system when there is no information I give it zero stars out of five extremely disappointed.
I am not collected.Travel in your last two years.Can I get paid backpay
Please put in the article that if you see a provider through community care you have to make sure you get a excuse to prove you attended the appointment or you will not get travel pay. You also will not get travel pay if you move to another address after your appointment date because the VA that you visited is now out of vicinity even though the move was after the date.
I was not reimbursed all of my money I only got reimbursed for approximately six days out of 180 days! I was told that I had to file the claim 30 days after the visit!!the system was setup in a way where I couldn’t submit the claim without a code and the code wasn’t even in the system from where I was going to therapy! Then I had to fill out a special form in order to get direct deposit because they wouldn’t send me a paper check! It took me two months to get the form in the mail needed for direct deposit! The VA owes me close to $400! How can I get my travel pay! The travel pay department has been a joke for over fifteen years and it’s still a joke
why. does the VA in Fayetteville ar take 6 months or. longer to pay travel pay when using paper claim???
Here in central Missouri, manual travel claims are over 3 months behind in processing.
5 – 7 Days you must be dreaming!
I have been doing this for some time now, and recently it seems that the VA center responsible for reimbursement has basically put everything on hold, and this seems to have happened right after you meet the quota and they don’t get a percentage. I am talking about the Topeka KS VA center here.
In the past, before I reached their deductible limit, all of my pay vouchers when submitted were instantly marked payment authorized. Now that I have reached their deductible limit, every pay voucher I submit for payment from VA appointments is instantly marked ” In manual review”.
They sent me to Leavenworth for an appointment for ortho and after I completed the appointment I submitted the voucher and it has been over 2 months and I was never paid for it. My last 2 appointments at the Junction City VA center were submitted and instantly marked in manual review, so it looks like they don’t like paying out when there is no deductible. This needs to be fixed ASAP since these are appointments from the VA for the VA. They are the ones who set these up for the location and when they are submitted there should be no lax in paying these vouchers.
out of the last five VA appointments that I have had IFCs for Benny Travel has screwed up three of them. Two of them they never contacted me to arrange travel or flights. One they failed to pay for my return ticket. Everything was booked had seat assignments and conformation numbers. Then after getting back they refused my claim. Of course most Vets know that the VA doesn’t follow the regulations, policy or directives unless its in the VA’s favor. Hard to trust a system that has zero checks and balances. Patient Advocates don’t care and don’t advocate for vets, OIG has stated that they don’t care either, ORMDI didn’t do a thorough investigation and lost stuff, OWP was told to investigate and they refused. Time to get ride of the VHA and give vets Blue Cross Blue shield and save another $400 million in non meritorious bonuses administrators get.
If you think it is bad now, just wait until the DOGE cuts takes effects. Firing 80 thousand empliyees is not going to improve anything. God be with us. These are the people that love to tell us, “Thank You For Your Service.
This is a scam. There is no way for a person without a cell phone to register an account for an idme document or whatever it is.
I have submitted travel claims as far back as the beginning of June and July and I have I received 2 payments 1 for $35 and 1 for $18 I had appt June 4th and 5 th and I had appt for June 19 community care and 26 and 27 and for some reason im only got paid $18 for my appt in Sepulveda it’s frustrating because you call and get a voicemail and no return call and I would have to drive over 50 miles to go to the business office to follow up I would appreciate if someone could follow up in regards to this matter thank you
10-13 days for paper filing is BS; I’m still waiting 7-8 months with no resolution in sight.
I file my travel claims through BTSS on line. For over a year now my claims are generally taking 4 to 6 months to get processed for payment. I have addressed this backlog multiple times but no changes. I usually have over 20 claims pending payment. I could probably understand if these were paper claims but they are claims submitted on line with proper documentation as required.
Travel pay is great, Thank You. “BUT” not knowing when that reimbursement will be direct deposited into your bank is a crap shoot. 2-3 weeks then I have numerous times it’s 10–14 weeks later. Plus when you have 5-6-8 care providers and travel reimbursement back to back and those care provider are less than a 1 mile apart and trying to figure “WHO” is being reimbursed and for what day, It would be so simple as I have said to the VA for the last 3-4 years. Use the last 3-4 digits of the providers contract number. That would solve a big problem. 346 that was Doctor Jay and 552 that was Doctor Stan. and so on. You take the time to put down a 10 digit phone number for the travel office 6-7-8 times on my bank statement with a 16 digit number that makes no sense what so ever, In stead of the phone number use the last 3-4 digits of the contract number the provider has for there contract with the VA. We as Veterans know how to get a hold of are travel office, Simple!
Well I took care of my late husband before we got married after his knee surgery. The doctor wrote out a 3 month “home health” care prescription. I turned in my 3 month itinerary to several different offices with the VA. One said it was approved but I never received payment….
BS. Claim. Mileage and request reimbursement for scripts and then they take first $16.
Make sure if it is a community care appointment that you get proof that you were there (ask for a Dr’s note) and upload it to BTSS when filing.
Why does it take months to get paid your travel pay?
I just had surgery at Vanderbilt through the VA Community Care and I don’t know how to get paid thru travel claim. Please explain
I have always submitted for mileage reimbursement, but recently I had breakfast at the VA hospital because I had to go in early. It was a $7 meal. All my previous claims were paid within 2 to 3 days, but because I claimed a meal this time, it had to go to manual review, and it took almost a month. Ultimately, they reimbursed the mileage and not the meal. So, from now on I will only claim mileage. Also, I go to the same location each time. When I complete the claim, the reimbursement amount is always the same, but once I receive the actual reimbursement deposited in my account, it is always $6 less. Lastly, the BTSSS site offers no way to contact anyone regarding a question about a reimbursement claim.
This doesn’t work for me. I tried 67 hours on line and couldn’t get anywhere with that ID thing. Even Travel couldn’t help and also the place to go and check on it couldn’t get me started either. I can’t even get to MyHealthyVet, because of this. I have to drop off my travel with a letter from where I go directly to the Travel room, or mail it in if I get to the Office timely. And they say it takes 40 days to complete the Travel Pay Payment. When I got a payment it would have the date of the appointment so I could see what was paid or not. They don’t do that now, so I have no clue, and the 40 days doesn’t help at all. Some times I have to reschedule an appointment since I didn’t get Travel pay in to be able to have gas to travel.
So this System is Broken as nothing is working so someone can get things done online!
I’m waiting on 18 backlogged travel claims!
This is great but…as usual you haven’t told the whole truth. SYSTEM BACKLOG! Months and months and months.
Recently the snafu about VA facilities going into Manual Review got fixed but….those that were placed in Manual Review have not been cleared. I was told the will stay in que until the number comes up. That could be five months from when that problem started.
I have been waiting MONTHS for travel pay. 4 months is quick. It could take 6 to 8 months!
This is a great disservice to disabled veterans.
Your advice is good but you dont tell the whole story.We are required to get proof of the visit to our appointment,some doctors offices have no clue how to do this and say they are too busy and will get it to you.Sometimes getting it late or not at all.After that you must mail your proof to the VA.NOT such an easy system as a 100% dis. Vet many times I have been frustrated and just gave up loosing lots of money.You would think these burocrats were giving up there own money.
owe me for 3 appointments at crown point a b j clinic filled out paper work never got paid supposed to put in my bank account
If I file a claim for mileage for myself. Can my caretaker who takes me to an appointment also file a separate claim for mileage. And get paid?
Thank you VA for your help God bless you all
Be careful for those that file a BTSSS travel claim for a non VA facility for surgery, even if the VA sent you there. If the VA forgets to put the external appointment into the system via community care they will deny your claim because it wasn’t previously approved. Good luck on an appeal, I haven’t heard anything.
Said the average for BTSSS claims is 5-7 days. NOT at the Kansas City (Missouri) VA. They hold your claim for 30 days, as “it’s divisional policy”. However, they won’t show you the policy in writing.
Travel pay for medical appointments should be automatic sent to the patient. None of this multiple steps where a lot of times it’s not upgraded into the system.
And Lord help us if we get a paper trail Eisenhower VA center in Leavenworth Kansas is so far behind because a backlog we don’t get paid
The system knows it and they pray off of individuals that don’t want to go through the trouble so why can’t travel pay not be paid automatically without going through hoops
Once you go through your doctors appointment and it is documented that you were present, it should be automatically established payment. The VA system is so backwards.
Travel pay is great when you get it but when you have to wait months to get reimbursed because having multiple travel claims that are sitting in “Manual Review” and it isn’t because my information is wrong, it is the travel reimbursement department
#1 Travel pay department have zero empathy and do the bare minimum
#2 They are so overworked and can’t keep up.
#3 Fix the system.
I’m 100% disabled and I was sent for X-rays in Augusta G, about 90 miles away. I put in a claim for mileage and they denied it because they said they don’t reimburse for walk ins. Thing is, that is the only way they do X-rays there. You can’t make an appointment. Tried calling everyone to make this right, but was told flat out that they didn’t care I traveled for the required X-rays, they would not reimburse me, since I did not have an appointment time. Great service. Not!
I filed for reimbursement and it was declined.
I have a 10% rating for injury while on active duty. When I file it is for an appointment related to the injury.
I usually don’t have a problem receiving reimbursement, but this time they denied for the fact that I’m not 30%. But the fact that my injury is duty related it should qualify.
Travel pay from 33166 to the miami va hospital don’t work for me, I got paid 16cents for my travel base on deductible,. I told the supervisor on duty that I was not going to waste their time and mine for .16cents.
Why does it take over 30 days to get under $30 reimbursed for travel to and from appointments at the North Jacksonville VA Clinic? When I was going to the Jefferson St VA Clinic, it was never a problem to get reimbursed within 30 days? Plus when you arrive a the new North Jacksonville Clinic you can register for travel reimbursement by checking in on your phone. When I got to the desk, the agent told me to do it with her as the online system doesn’t always work? Really
VA community care requies you notufy them for ghe 1st appointment. within 10 days of approval. I called in follow-up appointments but the community care does not put in the system. Just file the travel claim and provide the copy of attendance. When you go to travel the Dr. is not listed on the drop down. It then says contact VA Travel to have the Dr. added. Seems like the should be automatic from Community Care to travel. Also Community Care should note the appointment so they are in the system and easily approved. Too much work on the Veteran’s side.
I filed when the VA sent me to a community care provider, they paid the provider but refused my mileage pay they said because I didn’t prove that I was there.
They make this way to hard and treat the Veteran like a little kid . When you have to bring a letter from the doctor to prove that you as a Adult Veteran went to your appoint, but on this same note you will pay the community care bill with no proof at all. So doctors offices and other services used by Veterans are trusted more? see the irony here.
You forgot to mention the “In Manual Review” delays. And 5 to 7 days is more like 5 to 7 weeks, or not at all. Other than that it is a great system.
why does it take 6 weeks to get a claim alo they tell me I can’t get millage to white rivr where I have been going for 17 years. they say I need to goto mass which They claim is closer to my home. it take me 2 hr 30 min to go to mass va but it takes 1hr 40 min to white river so I can’t get paid to go to white river. they dom’t care about the vet
Does this cover VA patients who use community care authorized by the VA?
I long ago gave up on getting travel pay since the Smartphone system is impossible to navigate. I’d guess someone is pocketing the money but it is not me. It is all very frustrating.
How do I process comunity care appointments?
Cut my travel pay in half because there was a closer facility. Only trouble with that was the VA insisted I make the appt and they chose the location.
I am disturbed that you brag about travel reimbursement as its definitely not what is evident.
First, we do not get the full mileage like those are reimbursed in the USA.
Second, when we do receive the reimbursement it is not in total mileage but in Point A to Point B.
Third, every time you claim reimbursement, a $6.00 deductible is applied until you reach $18.00 per month. The explanation I received is its taken to help the poor who can’t afford transportation. This is ridiculous because you’re telling me I am a millionaire because I am 100 percent rated.
Fourth, every time the VA Travel reimbursement rules are changed, we are never notified in writing there is a change. This is done so all Veterans won’t realize it as long as they get something in reimbursement.
Never, got my money!
They owe me four different payments.
You can file an appeal, and if a VA employee uses common sense and thinks outside the box, your appeal will be granted.
I filed a claim on 3/6/24 for approved VA travel that was paid on 2/28/25, 11 months later; best is only subjective! The VA travel department deducted $24 for the month of March 2025, I though the limit was $18. That said, and I really do mean it, I am very grateful for the support show by the men and women of the VA health care and support system, I know it is trying job.
I use the BTSSS for travel pay. But it takes longer than 5-7 business days to get your money due. I will still use the BTSSS. I have 5 milage claims filed now and they are under review. But I still appreciate what the VA does for the veterans. Thank You for all you do.
If you file a formal claim for reimbursement, you should receive a formal reply. With your appeal rights.
Haven’t been reimbursed for travel from nov 2024
Unfortunately if you are in a life /death situation you might not have the ability to file in 30 days when caring for the veteran should take priority and when the veteran passes away, the family is left with costs they can not file
Yeah, but Rx isn’t covered is it?
I am DAV100, and when I went through throat cancer treatment (at a non-VA facility, as I could not trust the VA to handle my cancer), all $3000+ of Rx meds (my cash) was denied for reimbursement…
But you can trust on that monthly check getting there in time! ???
Yes, that’s because you cannot go to an outside pharmacy for your prescriptions. Your outside provider must fax prescriptions to your VA pharmacy and get them filled. I had an appointment yesterday (7/22) and gave the doctor the fax number to send my prescriptions to my VA pharmacy. I received my meds at my home today (7/23); UPS delivered them!
The VA handled my cancer just fine. I don’t know your situation or location, but I’m curious as to why you didn’t trust the VA’s treatment options.
if the VA setup the appointments to that non-VA facility (care in the community), then they should be reimbursing you for the travel and cover the bills. If you just went on your own without authorization, then yep, you are likely stuck with the bill.