About Travel Pay....

[hedgey]

I have an average of 6 appointments a month at my VA clinic, but will soon be traveling nearly daily because of Physical Therapy.

My address is in the same zip code as the VA clinic, but this is a rural area and as it happens we have one zip code that covers a lot of area. It's 16 miles one-way to the clinic from my house, 32 miles round trip. I live at one edge of the zip code, the clinic is at the opposite edge.

When I've submitted travel forms, the checks have been for less than a dollar. When I asked at the clinic about it, they said that sometimes the travel office uses the address, and sometimes they go by distance between zip codes - since I live in the same zip code, I'm getting paid for 2 miles, since one mile is the smallest unit.

Is that correct? If it's true that the VA will only pay travel from zip code to zip code, why do we have to fill in the full addresses we traveled between?

If they won't pay my actual mileage, it's not worth the bother to submit the form. If they will or are supposed to, it would really help! Gas is $3.37 a gallon today, and not likely to go down anytime soon....

Thanks for any help!

[Vync]

It kinda works like that at my VAMC. I have been told that living in the same county or within a certain number of miles means no travel pay. I have lived in a different county for a few years and in Fall 2009 something changed and I started getting travel. If I pay deductibles for three round-trip visits, they stop taking out the deductible for any other visits within that month. I had an appointment with VocRehab, which is about 4 miles farther than the VAMC and they said they pay if you live more than a certain number of miles away - and they refused to pay me anything.

If your VAMC does not pay by actual driving distance, I wonder if it would help if you give the VA your zip code stop number, which is the zip code + 4 number. That is what the post office uses to help deliver mail along different routes. The stop number would be a more accurate method. Then again, going on any of the map sites and computing round trip driving directions is more accurate. I wonder what they would say if you presented them with a copy of a printout of that...

[hedgey]

Answered my own question, sort of. Found this site:

http://www.va.gov/healtheligibility/Library/FAQs/BeneTravelFAQ.asp#content-area

And down along the middle is a section on how they figure mileage:

1. 
   How do we determine mileage for reimbursement purposes?
   VA has not established use of a single reference. Mileage can be determined using authoritative guidance such as Rand McNally or MapQuest; or zip code to zip code as determined at the local VA health care facility, whichever gives the greater benefit to the veteran.

The underlining at the end is mine.

So now my question is, who do I gripe to about them using the method that does NOT give the greater benefit to me?

[Pete53]

According to Google Maps I am 18.1 miles from VA and 45 minute drive. I live in different zip code or about 10 bucks less the 5.50 they take three times. I don't ask for it cause I don't want them to get the 5.50

[Vync]

• How do we determine mileage for reimbursement purposes?
  VA has not established use of a single reference. Mileage can be determined using authoritative guidance such as Rand McNally or MapQuest; or zip code to zip code as determined at the local VA health care facility, whichever gives the greater benefit to the veteran.

"Whichever gives the greater benefit to the veteran."

That's good to know...

[Bonzai]

Just recently, I have been getting a second letter with my appointment slips I receive in the mail. The letter states that the VA is going to start using software that will calculate mileage given from the veteran's home address to the VA. The software is supposed to be installed and in use by Feb 14th.

This may only be the Memphis VA sending this out though...

[LarryJ]

Just recently, I have been getting a second letter with my appointment slips I receive in the mail. The letter states that the VA is going to start using software that will calculate mileage given from the veteran's home address to the VA. The software is supposed to be installed and in use by Feb 14th.

This may only be the Memphis VA sending this out though...

This is good to know. They haven't send me anything regarding this new software (I use the Dallas VAMC) so it is probably in the "developmental stage" and they are trying it at your location before setting it up nation-wide. Hopefully it will work, correctly. I don't EVEN try to get my mileage from the Dallas VAMC. Last time I did, it took over an hour with me sitting elbow to elbow with the gal with the two screaming kids, waiting. I do NOT do "crowds" very well. I prefer sitting on the side of a mountain, watching the deer.................................