How to request VA Beneficiary Travel Pay reimbursement — Form 10-3542 + BTSSS portal
The VA Beneficiary Travel (BT) program reimburses veterans for transportation costs to VA-authorized medical appointments. 38 USC § 111, 38 CFR § 70.10. Two reimbursement types: (1) General Healthcare BT — mileage at 41.5 cents per mile for eligible veterans (service-connected care at any rating, a 30%+ rating, VA pension, or low income under 38 CFR 70.10); (2) Special Mode BT — ambulance, wheelchair van, air ambulance with prior authorization. File via VA Form 10-3542, BTSSS online portal, or at the clinic the day of appointment. Per-visit deductible $3 one-way / $6 round-trip, capped at $18/month total.
What you'll need
- VA Form 10-3542 (Beneficiary Travel) — va.gov/find-forms/about-form-10-3542
- BTSSS online portal (Beneficiary Travel Self-Service System) — fastest method
- Appointment confirmation (VA letter, AVS, or VA.gov My Health appointments)
- Receipts: tolls, parking, public transit fares, ride-share (Uber/Lyft/taxi)
- Direct deposit info (faster than paper check)
Step-by-step
Step 1: Confirm you are eligible under 38 CFR 70.10
Per 38 CFR 70.10(a), a veteran qualifies for beneficiary travel if ANY ONE is true: (1) the trip is for examination, treatment or care of a service-connected condition, at any rating; (2) the veteran has a service-connected rating of 30% or more and travels for care of any condition; (3) the trip is for a scheduled compensation and pension (C&P) exam; (4) the veteran receives VA pension; (5) the veteran's annual income does not exceed the maximum annual pension rate (2026 rates, effective December 1, 2025: $17,441 with no dependents, $22,839 with one dependent; VA updates them each December); or (6) the veteran cannot otherwise defray the cost of travel under the income tests in 38 CFR 70.10(c). Certain family members, caregivers and a medically required attendant are also covered. Special Mode BT (ambulance, wheelchair van, air ambulance) requires PRIOR AUTHORIZATION from VA — call your VA travel office BEFORE the trip if possible. Emergency medical transport: VA pays under 38 USC 1725/1728 separately, not under BT.
Step 2: Use the BTSSS online portal (fastest)
Beneficiary Travel Self-Service System (BTSSS) is the VA online portal at va.gov/health-care/file-travel-pay-reimbursement. Sign in with a Login.gov or ID.me account (VA.gov no longer accepts DS Logon or My HealtheVet sign-ins). Click "File a travel pay claim." Choose your appointment from the auto-populated list (VA pulls from your scheduling record). Confirm: (a) actual address you traveled FROM (use your home address; if traveling from work, document the work address); (b) round-trip miles (BTSSS auto-calculates from VA-recognized addresses); (c) any tolls, parking, public transit, or ride-share costs (upload receipts). Submit. Set up direct deposit for travel pay before your first claim — VA keeps it separate from the direct deposit on your other benefits. Track via "View previous claims" tab. The VA pays 41.5 cents per mile MINUS the $3 one-way / $6 round-trip deductible, capped at $18/month deduction total. Once you hit $18 deductible in a month, additional trips that month reimburse without deduction.
Step 3: Or file on paper with VA Form 10-3542
Many VA Medical Centers have a Travel Office at the facility — bring VA Form 10-3542 (or pick one up at the office), present your appointment confirmation, and the office will process the claim; most facilities no longer pay cash at a window, so a paper claim is paid the same way as a BTSSS claim. Smaller VA Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) may not have on-site travel offices but can mail the form for you. If you forgot to file the day-of, you have 30 calendar days from the date of travel to file (38 CFR 70.20(b)). A late claim can still be submitted on VA Form 10-3542, but VA says claims filed after the 30-day limit are usually denied. Set a recurring reminder to file BTSSS within 30 days of every appointment.
Step 4: Special Mode authorization for ambulance, wheelchair van, air ambulance
Special Mode Beneficiary Travel covers transportation when the veteran cannot use private vehicle or public transit due to disability. Includes: ambulance (emergency or non-emergency stretcher transport), wheelchair van/lift-equipped vehicle, air ambulance (rare, only for life-threatening conditions where ground transport is infeasible). REQUIRES PRIOR AUTHORIZATION from your VA care team — contact the VA travel office or your primary care team BEFORE the trip if possible. For emergency transport, call VA at 844-724-7842 within 72 hours of the emergency; a claim filed within 30 days of emergency travel is treated as timely even without prior approval (38 CFR 70.20(c)). Coverage requires medical certification that private/public transport was not feasible. Special Mode reimbursement is at the actual cost of the service (not mileage rate) — the ambulance company submits the bill directly to VA when authorized.
Step 5: If denied — appeal via Patient Advocate, then Notice of Disagreement
BT denials are common when: (a) the address mismatch flagged the claim (file an amendment with correct address); (b) the appointment was not coded as VA-authorized (often the case for community-care visits — confirm the consultation was authorized under MISSION Act); (c) eligibility status changed (rating dropped below 30%, income exceeded threshold). To appeal: first, file a Patient Advocate complaint at your VAMC — these often resolve within days. If unresolved, use the decision-review options listed in the denial letter — Higher-Level Review (VA Form 20-0996), Supplemental Claim (VA Form 20-0995) or Board Appeal (VA Form 10182) — within one year of the decision. CVSOs can help — BT denials are routine and usually resolved at the regional level. Pattern of denials? Contact your VISN (regional VA network) office or congressional rep — systemic BT denials are a frequent oversight escalation issue.
Critical tips
- BTSSS PORTAL IS THE FASTEST. Always file digitally if you can, and set up travel-pay direct deposit first.
- $18/MONTH DEDUCTIBLE CAP. After your $18 monthly deductible is hit, additional trips that month reimburse WITHOUT the per-trip deduction. High-utilization veterans (chemo, dialysis, PT) save significantly under this rule.
- COMMUNITY CARE COUNTS. If VA authorizes you for community care under the MISSION Act (38 CFR 17.4010), the trip to the community provider is BT-eligible. File via BTSSS using the authorization number.
- RIDE-SHARE COVERED. Uber, Lyft, taxi receipts can be reimbursed at actual cost (more than mileage rate sometimes). Upload the receipt to BTSSS. Veterans without cars who use ride-share for VA appointments save the most under BT.
- TOLLS + PARKING covered separately from mileage. Save your toll receipts and VAMC parking-deck stubs.
- CAREGIVER + DEPENDENT TRAVEL COVERED in some cases. If you travel WITH the veteran as a medically-required attendant (e.g., wheelchair-bound veteran needs spouse to drive), the spouse's travel can be reimbursed under 38 CFR 70.10(b). Note this on the BT claim.
- 30-DAY DEADLINE IS FIRM but waivable for good cause (illness, family emergency). Document if you missed the deadline due to circumstances beyond your control.
- In crisis: 988 + Press 1. If you cannot afford to drive to your VA mental health appointment, BT covers it — do NOT skip the appointment. File BT after.