HEALTHCAREVA program
VA Beneficiary Travel Reimbursement (Travel Pay)
Mileage reimbursement for travel to VA or VA-authorized health care, currently 41.5 cents per mile, claimed online through the Beneficiary Travel Self Service System (BTSSS, sign-in via AccessVA) or on paper with VA Form 10-3542. Covers travel at a 30%+ service-connected rating, travel for a service-connected condition at any rating, VA pension recipients, income below the maximum annual VA pension rate, and VA-preapproved special mode transport such as an ambulance or wheelchair van. A $3 deductible applies to each one-way trip ($6 round trip), capped at $18 per month; VA waives the deductible for pension recipients, VA claim exam travel, and income-based hardship. Claims must be filed within 30 days of the appointment; later claims are usually denied.
Available at 30%+, at any rating for service-connected care, with VA pension, or with qualifying income
Example value
41.5 cents/mileApproved health-related travelStep-by-step guide
Who travel pay covers
- A group the rule coversA rating of 30 percent or more; travel for a service-connected condition at any rating; a scheduled VA claim exam; VA pension; income at or below the maximum annual pension rate; or travel costs a veteran cannot afford under VA rules.
- Care at VA, or VA-approved careThe trip is for care at a VA facility, or at a community provider VA approved. Round trip is paid for scheduled appointments or emergency treatment; another unscheduled visit may get return travel only.
- A claim filed within 30 daysThe claim is filed within 30 calendar days after the trip, with a receipt for each expense other than mileage. A mailed claim counts from its postmark. A new claim is filed for each appointment. Ambulance or van trips follow the special mode rules.
Source: 38 CFR 70.10(a) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: file a travel pay claim (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 70.4(b) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 70.30(a) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: reimbursed travel expenses and mileage rate (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 70.20 (opens in new tab)
What kind of travel is this?
- Driving or common transportation
Travel pay covers mileage, tolls, and parking for trips to and from VA care or VA-approved community care. Mileage is paid to the closest VA facility that can provide the care, unless VA sends you farther. Bus, train, plane, or taxi fares, and meals and lodging, need approval from the VA facility first.
Source: 38 CFR 70.10(a) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 70.20 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 70.30(a) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: file a travel pay claim (opens in new tab); VA.gov: reimbursed travel expenses and mileage rate (opens in new tab)
- Ambulance or wheelchair van
Special mode transportation is an ambulance or a specially equipped vehicle, used when a medical condition makes regular transportation unsafe.
- Medically required and approved in advanceA VA provider decides the medical condition requires it, VA approves the trip before travel unless it was an emergency, and the veteran meets VA's test for being unable to pay: income at or below the pension rate, a rating of 30 percent or more, or travel for a service-connected condition. After an emergency transport outside VA, VA.gov says to call within 72 hours.
Source: 38 CFR 70.4(d) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 70.20 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: file a travel pay claim (opens in new tab); VA.gov: reimbursed travel expenses and mileage rate (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 70.10(a) (opens in new tab)
What to gather, and what it shows VA
| Document | What it shows | How VA gets it | Have it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Receipts for travel costs Receipts for tolls, parking, fares, and approved meals or lodging. Mileage needs no receipt. | What the trip cost | Keep them from the trip and include them with the claim to VA. | Yes |
| Proof of attendance for community care For a community care appointment, a work or school release note from the provider, or a document on the provider letterhead showing the date the appointment was completed. | That the VA-approved appointment happened | Ask the community provider for it, and include it with the claim to VA. | |
| Rating decision or pension award VA's letter showing a service-connected rating or a VA pension award. | Which travel pay group applies | VA already holds it. Veterans can download decision letters and a benefit summary letter on VA.gov. | Yes |
| Paper travel claim VA Form 10-3542, the claim for travel expenses, for filing by mail or in person instead of online. | The trip, the expenses, and the signed certifications | Mail it or bring it, with receipts, to the VA facility where you got care. VA counts the postmark as the filing date. | |
| VA approval for special mode transport A VA provider's decision that the medical condition requires an ambulance or a specially equipped vehicle, and VA's approval of the trip. | That special transport was medically required | Ask your VA health care team before the trip. Non-emergency rides can be requested online through VA. |
Receipts and claims go to VA through its travel pay system or the VA facility. BeneVets does not ask for copies of them.
Steps, in order
- Get free help from a VSO
Free help: an accredited VSO can file this with you. Find one near you in the BeneVets VSO directory at Find an accredited VSO near you.
Source: VA.gov: accredited representatives (opens in new tab)
- Set up direct deposit for travel pay
Travel pay needs its own direct deposit setup, even if VA already pays other benefits by direct deposit. VA.gov explains how.
- Get approval first when the rule asks for it
Ask the VA facility before the trip for fares, meals, lodging, special mode transport, or travel to a VA facility farther than your closest one.
Source: 38 CFR 70.20 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 70.4(d) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: file a travel pay claim (opens in new tab)
- Keep receipts and track mileage
Keep receipts for transportation, tolls, parking, and approved meals or lodging. For community care, ask the provider for proof of attendance.
Source: 38 CFR 70.20 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: file a travel pay claim (opens in new tab)
- File within 30 days
File online through VA.gov or the Beneficiary Travel Self-Service System (BTSSS), during smartphone check-in for mileage-only trips from home, or with VA Form 10-3542 by mail or in person. File one claim per appointment.
Source: VA Form 10-3542 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: file a travel pay claim (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 70.20 (opens in new tab)
Good to know
VA takes a deductible from each one-way trip, but stops after six one-way trips in a calendar month. There is no deductible for special mode travel, for travel to a scheduled VA claim exam, or for travel by someone who is not a veteran, and VA waives it for pension recipients and for low household income.
Source: 38 CFR 70.31 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: reimbursed travel expenses and mileage rate (opens in new tab)
VA.gov says you can still file after 30 days, but claims filed after the limit are usually denied. Someone who becomes covered after the trip has 30 days from that date to file.
Source: 38 CFR 70.20 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: file a travel pay claim (opens in new tab)
Travel pay can also cover a family caregiver traveling for caregiver training or to support care, and an attendant a veteran medically needs on the trip.
Source: 38 CFR 70.10(a) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: file a travel pay claim (opens in new tab)
BeneVets is informational and is not an accredited representative. Free help: an accredited VSO can work through VA benefits with you at no cost. Find an accredited VSO near you
Sources checked October 1, 2026: 38 CFR 70.4(b) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 70.4(d) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 70.10(a) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 70.20 (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 70.30(a) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 70.31 (opens in new tab), VA.gov: accredited representatives (opens in new tab), VA.gov: download VA benefit letters (opens in new tab), VA.gov: file a travel pay claim (opens in new tab), VA.gov: reimbursed travel expenses and mileage rate (opens in new tab), VA Form 10-3542 (opens in new tab)