Travel Pay

Good morning!

Veterans are usually most familiar with the VA’s medical coverage. Many veterans live a long way from a medical center of community based outpatient clinic (CBOC) and have to drive long distances to attend appointments. This can be a big nuisance—especially when you are living on a small amount of disability compensation. I know firsthand—my husband and I live an hour away from his primary care at the CBOC and an hour and a half away from the nearest VA Emergency Room. Add that to the fact our only vehicle gets a meager 10 miles to the gallon, and we’re in a real bind when it comes to getting to appointments!

Thankfully, the VA offers travel pay to eligible veterans. Travel is compensated at a rate of 41.5 cents per mile. For scheduled appointments, the VA multiples the per-mile rate by the number of miles traveled from your home to the VA and back. For unscheduled appointments, such as emergency room visits, the VA only pays for the return trip.

To be eligible for travel pay, you must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Veteran with a service-connected rating of 30% or more, for any appointment
• Veteran with a service-connected rating of 30% or less, for appointments related to the service-connected condition
• Veteran attending a Compensation and Pension (C&P) examination
• Veteran who recieves VA pension benefits
• Veteran with annual income below the maximum applicable annual rate
• Veteran who provides clear evidence that they cannot afford the cost of travel

Travel pay is obtained at the travel pay window of your local medical center. Unfortunately, that means that you cannot pick up travel pay if your appointment is at a CBOC. However, CBOC appointments are still eligible for travel pay! You must mail in a form (which can be provided to you at the appointment) or drive to the medical center to pick up the payment within 30 days. Since it can take several weeks (even several months!) to receive a reimbursement travel pay check from the VA, my husband and I usually pick ours up at the medical center when we are in the area. My in-laws live near the medical center, so we find ourselves in the area every few weeks.

A portion of the travel pay ($3 each way) may be deducted unless you qualify for and submit paperwork for a waiver based on a "means test" evaluation. If you qualify, submit this paperwork as soon as possible. If you are not eligible to have the deductible waived, remember that the rate is only $3 each way, or $6 per round trip. There is a monthly deductible cap of $18, meaning that after six one-way trips (three round trips) in a calendar month the VA must stop deducting from travel pay.

Have a great day! Check back again soon for more information about the VA!

For more information on travel pay, please visit http://www.va.gov/healtheligibility/library/faqs/benetravelfaq.asp