Posted on Friday, June 13, 2025
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by Outside Contributor
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My first car was a 1967 Ford Galaxy 500. It was older than I was when I drove it in high school in northern California in the late ‘80s. And, yes, I once hit triple digits on the speedometer while racing down Interstate 680 near Oakland.
But those days are long gone. My mantra is no longer “a need for speed.” Now, I’m just happy to get safely from point A to point B with minimal road rage.
For those of you who drive your own vehicle – whether it’s a Tesla or a Buick or a hooptie – or use public transportation to get to your VA appointments, let me tell you about VA’s travel reimbursement program.
VA reimburses eligible Veterans and caregivers for travel costs, including mileage, tolls, parking and authorized hotel stays for health care appointments. Filing a travel claim online is the fastest way to receive reimbursement.
Let’s look at a few specifics of the program.
Who’s eligible?
There are several eligibility groups: (1) Veterans who travel to a VA facility or VA-authorized health care facility for treatment of a service-connected condition. (2) Enrolled Veterans with a 30% service-connected disability rating who travel to an appointment for care for any condition. (3) Veterans traveling for a scheduled Compensation and Pension (C&P) exam. (4) Caregivers traveling with a Veteran who is receiving care for a service-connected disability. There are a few other unique groups who are eligible.
What types of travel can VA provide or reimburse?
VA has the authority to provide reimbursement to eligible persons for mileage driven in a personal vehicle and transportation by a rideshare or public transportation (e.g., plane, bus, taxi). 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 eligible for beneficiary travel.
What is the best way to get paid back?
File a claim using the Beneficiary Travel Self-Service System (BTSSS). Combining electronic filing with direct deposit is the fastest way to get your beneficiary travel payment. While Veterans may still file a paper claim or receive a paper check, paper methods take longer to process.
BTSSS claims, on average, take 5-7 days to process via direct deposit. Paper claims, which must be entered manually, require 10-13 days for processing and take even longer to receive if the payment is made by paper check.
How to file a travel claim using BTSSS?
To get started, visit www.access.va.gov and select “I am a Veteran” or “I am a Family Member” category, then select the “Veteran Travel Claim Entry” icon and click “Access VA.” You will be prompted to verify your identity using either ID.me or Login.gov.
TaKeshia Trevino, chief of the Veterans Transportation Program at Oklahoma City VA Medical Center recently shared with me, “Using the BTSSS digital claim option ensures accurate mileage calculations, faster claims processing and more log-in options. Veterans should absolutely use this system for eligible travel claims!”
Let me “Vetsplain” something
Don’t leave money behind. You might get $20 for a 50-mile round-trip to VA, but that’s $20 not coming out of your pocket. Let’s be honest. Have you ever spent more time fighting paperwork than fighting in the sandbox? Probably!
BTSSS is here because nobody enlisted to battle paperwork. Except for admin folks, maybe.
BTSSS means less waiting, easier reimbursing, and more times using the onomatopoeia, “cha-ching!” And I like the sound of that!
Thanks for allowing me to walk alongside you behind friendly lines.
Victory!
Jason T. Strickland, Lieutenant Colonel (U.S. Army Retired), is the chief communications officer at the VA Rocky Mountain Network Email: [email protected]
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