Travel Pay Changes

[COOL BREEZE]

I thought I would share the new travel pay changes that took effective in July. After an appointment the other day I was advised that the group I am now has the $ 6.00 co-payment subtracted giving me the difference of $2.50. After the 3rd appointment in 1 month you get the full pay. This is per month. For vets receiving pension from 30-100% they will now have to pay the co-payment. The VA was waiving this for years-however no longer .

Also, I saw something on the VA website about them automatically sending the travel pay vs standing in line. That is a new directive and the VA in my area is waiting to see how they will carry this out.

I just called the travel pay section in Tucson so they could better explain this issue. Quite a few unhappy folks there as I don't believe nothing official has been mailed out yet.

Edited August 5, 2011 by COOL BREEZE

[Philip Rogers]

The best way to avoid waiting in line is to mail in the mileage claim forms. I have weekly counseling sessions, so once a month I mail in the four(sometimes 5) forms. I make a master form and just date & sign each one, before mailing. About 4-8 wks later I get my payment checks, in the mail. No waiting in line.

The travel office "will" go back more than 30 days but it is not considered an approved claim and they'll make you go thru the appeal process to get your money. Unfortunately, the travel pay program is run at each RO's discretion(sp) and there is no uniformity.

pr

[ks1k]

My round trip to the VA is 50+ miles, round trip. I get $3.21 each visit.

The way I figure it is 50 miles time 41.5 cents per mile = $20.75. That minus the $6.00 deduction = $14.75. You have been short changed.

[71M10]

Ever notice that most every department/clinic at your VAMC has a waiting room with chairs except the travel/cashiers window?

Was talking with someone in line once that indicated one of the hospitals he used to go to had a device like an ATM that dispensed travel pay. Now that would make a lot of sense!

Best regards,

[sharon]

I went to the VA hospital today and got my full travel pay. I guss the timing was right, it took 3 minutes.

[Shellback-]

I think the Tucson hospital is great in the way it dispenses its travel pay....Always a pretty quick line.

In El Paso It is shocking. You wait around 2 hours for travel pay there, while the people behind the window debate whose break it is next. There is the option to have the check mailed to you though...There is a form you fill out, and hand in to the travel window (its actually a box). Then you wait for them to send the voucher, which you then sign and send back, and then they will send you the check. At least that is what they told us. We are still waiting for the check for February and March 2011. We have completed three sets of vouchers which they continue to lose or claim that we never sent them etc etc. So I personally am a little worried about the mailing out of checks, It doesn't work now, whats it going to be like when it is thousands more veterans???

I also know the agravation on dealing with the El Paso Va- Probably the only Va in the Nation where a Foreign third world language/ spanish is as likely to be spoken as english- and as far as I know they pay there-not the check is in the mail ?? sounds like they pulled some of that pinche gringo stuff on You !!