Nearly one year ago, VA launched the Beneficiary Travel Self-Service System (BTSSS), a web-based portal for the easy filing and quick processing of travel reimbursement claims.
In mid-June, BTSSS received the first of two upgrades to improve system performance. The change is based on your feedback — good and bad. VA values your comments and opinions. They push us as a department, and as a program, to find solutions that deliver better service, quality and care.
Upgrades focus on faster claims processing and payment
One of the more prominent changes that you’ll see is two new methods of logging into the portal. Rather than only using a Level 2 DS-Logon, you now have the option to use an ID.me account or a MyHealtheVet Premium User ID instead.
As you consider which login method to use, consider this – a My HealtheVet Premium account will not only log you into BTSSS, it also provides access to numerous VA services. Those include Secure Messaging with your care team, online prescription refill, appointment scheduling and complete access to your online medical health record.
So, whether you are a new or existing user of BTSSS, sign up for a My HealtheVet Premium account and enjoy the full benefits of a single username and password.
My HealtheVet Premium account provides access to numerous VA services.
Another important modification is the accurate listing of the appointment facility. Previously, the appointment facility was always set to a VA medical center. This change will result in more accurate claims and mileage calculations.
Other minor changes focus on reducing the number of required manual reviews by staff. For example, we’ve eliminated the ability for users to create a new facility entry or to create claims with future-dated appointments. This allows for faster claims processing and payments through direct deposit for subscribers.
Whether you have never used BTSSS or used it and were not satisfied, give the upgraded BTSSS 2.2 system a try. You’ll see and feel the changes when filing a claim.
Logging in, getting started is easy
To file your next claim, visit https://access.va.gov. Chose I’m a Veteran and select Veteran Travel Claim Entry.
Sign in with your MyHealtheVet, ID.me, or Level 2 DS-Logon.
Our new six-video series provides detailed instructions on how to log in, file a claim, and more using BTSSS.
- Video 1 of 6: BTSSS Introduction
- Video 2 of 6: How to Access BTSSS and Create Your Login
- Video 3 of 6: BTSSS: How to set up Direct Deposit and access BTSSS using login options
- Video 4 of 5: BTSSS: How to submit a travel reimbursement claim for a VA facility appointment
- Video 5 of 6: BTSSS: How to submit a travel reimbursement claim for a non-VA facility appointment
- Video 6 of 6: BTSSS: How to check the status of your travel reimbursement claim
For any questions or technical support, download the BTSSS User Guide or call the Beneficiary Travel toll-free call center at 1-855-574-7292. We’re here Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET.
Related blog: Travel pay claims made easy
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THE NEW SYSTEM IS VERY TIME CONFUSING AND COULD BE CONFUSING TO A CLASS OF VTERANS OR THOSE WITH NO COMPUTER. WHEN THE KIOSK STATRED STARTED MOST VETS DID NOT LIKE IT, NOW IT APPEARS TO BE GOLDEN AND OUT OF REACH.
My appointments still do not appear on the system, so I have to create an appointment (which has been in the VA system for months) which forces a manual review. I had to create the completion of yesterday’s appointment at the Alvin C. York Campus, but the travel system does not recognize that location…even when I try to manually input the address for that location! Lastly, there is no way I can provide “proof” that I completed the appointment as advised by the travel system which will persist until vet’s are given “proof” at check-in. Ultimately, I expect that I will have to call the Nashville travel department to get approval of that claim.
I do not see any improvements in the system.
Could not agree more with negative, “if it ain’t broke, do not fix it”. Who makes decisions to totally scrap a working system and replace it with a non working system. Was almost always asked if I got travel pay at my appointments, the person asking could see ME it was one and done and taken care of. Now the burden has been placed on the veteran and like previous comments how many vets will just give up and not get the benefit. Wonder what lobbyist got the VA to switch to a totally ill-conceived system and what software vendor was awarded a contract and paid millions of dollars for a worthless solution. If there was abuse figure out the ways to stop the abuse and not burden all veterans. Reminds me of basic training “Butt Patrol” even if you did not smoke you had to pickup up Butts. I am tired of systems that continue to force people to do some one else’s work. Fat contracts awarded to big software firms with people who can write code but have no interest or ability to take into consideration the end user in of their “better solution”. Talk about “Government Waste” this is a perfect example. How many actual users had input into the change, my guess is none, and what about all the cost of the old equipment used in the old process probably sitting in some landfill. Also I agree with the comments about there being no way to identify which visit is being paid.
Mr. James Tritten, 12/24/2021, post on the VA BTSSS, (Self-Service), roll-out is an Exact, Candid, and Truthfull statement as to what is Actually Occurring with the Benefit Travel Programs and the BTSSS Web Portal.
A 3rd Grader would Indeed have designed a Much-Better System for the VA and the Benefit Travel Office.
Why does VA Program Administrators Constantly-Try to “Fix” Program Applications that are Not-Broken must be one of those Enigmas.
Solution: The K.I.S.S. Agenda is Highly Recommended, exspecially in this case?
Thank You for your Truthfull-Clairity in this matter.
This Travel Pay system is a “debacle”! A third grader could develop a better system and I’m really attempting to be kind.
1. There is no reason why when you make an appointment that the Travel System does not have this appointment as Pending. I’ve notice this is common that most do not have their appointment(s) listed. I did not have mine either and had to enter each.
2. When you ‘check in’ for an appointment at ANY VA facility it should log your attendance for the appointment, verify your home address, and submit / pay the Travel to the Veteran.
…wouldn’t this be a concept.
3. If you were referred to an outside provider when they provide feedback on your appointment the Travel System should log your attendance for the appointment, verify your home address, and submit / pay the Travel to the Veteran.
4. There should be an App for your phone, would recommend the App used for medications, where you can check the status, dispute the mileage, enter an appointment missed by the system and etc.
5. Bottom Line: The only reason why ANYONE would change to this horrible method is to discourage Veterans from having their Travel paid. Finally, I could provide much more feedback on the ridiculous website construction; however, it seems this was another Contract Award to a bud that had zero knowledge or intent on making things better for Veterans. With the less than a stellar reputation the VA, you’d think the VA would attempt to make things better.
Not working as well as the old kiosk system. The past two appointments are in my VA medical record and can be seen online. Neither showed up on BTSS so I had to create a manual appointment and then file a manual claim. Then in order to “prove” I had completed the appointment, I had to take a screenshot of the VA page showing I did and attach it to the claim. And it went into manual adjudication of course. This is ridiculous. I also attached the paperwork with the original appointment as well as a copy of the chit given to me for actually entering the campus that day. Why do I have to provide the VA with its own paperwork? And BTSS has virtual appointments for me in the system along with a reminder to submit a travel claim. Really! Whoever sold this system to the government ought to be investigated. Not working and further undermining confidence in the VA travel reimbursement system.
I was told I didn’t qualify for travel, then they started paying me $4.15 for travel. I don’t understand if I am entitled why would I only receive this amount? And where does the rest of it go. Because its about 15.00 less than before? This has been going on for about a 1 year and if its happening to me. Are there others
Did you ever hear the phrase, don’t fix what ain’t broken. The kiosk was the best
I’m in the same boat as many others. I’m still waiting on four months of travel pay. I go to Hines outside Chicago, called to see why no payments had been gotten,no information available new system. This article is the first I seen anything about this new system.
I’ve completed numerous surveys. It just get worse every year. I’m 110% combat related disabled. I need 4 implants so I can have the ability to chew my food. Good luck with that ever happening. They don’t want us to live . I’ll eat baby food before I give in to there sick plan to shorten my life.
Followed the directions to a T and did not work. Tried several more times and still didn’t work so I have passed the time limit to get reimbursed. This system sucks!!!!!
The VA bean counters hate we Veterans who try to get those monies we are supposed to receive. They prefer it their own personal pockets.
Travel pay is bs now have to fill papers out takes 2 months or more to get your money especially the columbia sc va travel Previoulyi have been to Augusta and Asheville hospital got my pay within 1 to 2 weeks of course the columbia in my opinion needs to be reredone from top management down
This new system is much more time-consuming than the kiosk, and it’s been a month since my last appointment-haven’t received any travel pay yet. It used to take 5-7 days!! Major disappointment.
Any veteran that is having trouble submitting a claim or navigating the system need to pay attention to these instructions:
***For any questions or technical support, download the BTSSS User Guide or call the Beneficiary Travel toll-free call center at 1-855-574-7292. We’re here Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET.***
You may also go to this link for instructions on how to submit a claim online https://www.va.gov/health-care/get-reimbursed-for-travel-pay/.
This system sucks!!! Would not work for me.
This is all a ruse to waste more money and make it more difficult for veterans who need travel pay to actually get it.
What used to be so simple, has been destroyed. Give us back our Kiosk travel pay system.
I’ve had to go in TWICE now to get my travel pay fixed, and I’m a computer expert. It’s not the Veteran, it’s your broken system, and WE DEMAND IT BE RESTORED BACK TO THE KIOSKS!!!
VA behaving bad again!
I used this 4 months ago for my husband and he had not got paid yet.
I dont like the self service travel portal as I have trouble accessing internet often and forget to enter and it’s too late once I am able to enter. VA should allow us to still enter if over 30 to 60 even 90 days, since we are now doing part of travel department job and and pay us!! It is a shame, as I believe this system was put in place as a way to take money from myself and fellow Veterans, as many may not have access to internet, patience, willingness, remembering or knowledge to enter their own appointments and that is what makes it hurtful!!
Wow!! Thank you for Serving us, as We have Served You! Sad!
This new system is a seamless process that I find easy to use. It is more efficient and is beneficial to both veterans and staff. I also found tech support very user friendly when I had questions.
I received travel pay for ONE DAY for the past 6-7 months with 3 days of Chemo every three weeks
We were told the VA travel claim backlog for payment is over six months. Is this correct?
1st I want to explain that the cash payout was stopped due to corruption on the Veterans part. One example is a man who used his Mother’s address but lived in the same City where the Hospital is, and had an appointment everyday. He made over $70k in travel pay in one year. If you think he was alone then you’re stupid.
2nd Are these upgrades the cause of the issue of non payment or delayed payment?
Disabled U.S. Army Veteran
I just checked my appointment list and still, nothing is listed.
The self check portals at the VA clinic in Surprise AZ have been broken for at least 6 months. It was easy to use easy to get travel reimbursement using them. Now I just forget about it. Not wasting time doing their stupid paperwork. Not worth my time!
Most of my claims filed on behalf of my terminally ill husband on BTSSS say that they are under manual review. He is a patient at VAMC Fresno
I wish it was marked, dated, or coded… for all payments made. So I could mark or know which appointments have been paid.
They are months behind on system, never got all money due, so they went back to paper system with clerks. Now they still owe me for May until now on paper claims too. With so much less travel using te video you would think the problem would have been solved, its getting worse.
I haven’t collected travel pay, but once since they shut down the kiosk stations at VA Houston. Filled out paper form that time. Thought I’d wait until they opened the kiosks again. Never happened, then I saw the online option and managed to get logged in. Then I ran out of patience and just gave up! I sure could use my missed payments. Had several dental appointments and then knee replacement surgery and a redo on that! Have been stressed out with the pain from the knee and haven’t tried again to collect payments. I’ll see if it will work today?
While there is a steep learning curve for those claiming Community Care visits, and it can be challenging for a lot of our Vets just to learn the process for regular VA visits. I have found the time from reporting to receiving compensation has been greatly reduced. Even my last two CC claims were completed in about a week. As a plus, the staff at the Salisbury, NC, VA seem to be more helpful in the process of filing your claim.
My name is Thomas Vincent Leno i traveled from Auburn Hills Mi to the Jesse Brown VA for an sleep study appt an still waiting for my travel pay will i recieve it it was back im March im still waiting
John Dingell VA in Detroit is no longer conducting sleep studies? I had my sleep study there in 2016.
The whole system is to complicated for me, I don’t do tech well. I also was never told I could get travel pay when I moved to Colorado. I drove from Waldenburg to Pueblo for a year because I found out about travel pay.
Most of the many vets I know have stopped claiming travel pay as they either were incapable or unwilling to do all the work required to set this stuff up. Expect your claims levels to show a significant drop in claims taking money from vets to redirect it to the many insane ways the government is wasting money these days. And then do day you have made this faster and easier when all we had to do in the past was to drop by the beneficiary travel pay office for a few minutes and walk out with a cash payment in hand versus doing all the new stuff and then waiting weeks or sometimes months to receive payment if ever. I’m from the government and I’m here to help.
It should be automatic when you complete your appointments or any other procedures ordered by the doctors.
That is Absolutely True, But that Makes to Much Common Sense and Makes it Too Convenient for the Veterans to Receive Adequate, Timely, and Courteous Travel Reimbursements from their Veterans Administration Medical Centers. Another VA Promise Fulfilled. Thanks VA.
I worked in the communications industry for 28 years. Cable Phone Internet and I wasn’t able to file one travel claim on that system .I called the person who was suppose to handle it and they never bothered to call me back, which tells me everyone is calling her. Right now I think I’m owed 3-4 payments.
A method should be shown on this web page where we can delete claims that were mistakenly when we did not know the procedure needed to enter correct claims. IMHO
I was refused travel mileage with no reason on a Oct 2020 appointment . Will this be corrected or do I need to do something.