Travel Pay

[boomer2]

I was reading a post yesterday about travel pay and I'm a little embarrased because my memory is so good I forgot where exactly I read it. Anyway, I got this letter today from the VA in regards to travel pay.

travel pay.pdf

[Philip Rogers]

Interesting! We'll see what happens. jmo

pr

[meghp0405]

just looking for ways to save money. veterans don't make a lot of money on travel, but the va will find a way everytime to take that additional 5 cents...

[johnjjr]

The Martinsburg, WV VAMC must be using bingmaps already. Last year I was getting $30.31 per trip. I only got $24.18 for cardio appt Jan 22, '13. $6.00 is a pretty big difference IMHO.

[halos2]

This is such a sore subject with me. I too loose $6.00 each time I go there. I searched it on Bing and it gave my usual amount I got before, and I challenged the Travel Supervisor...she stated "The shortest way!" I said well Bing gave me this...So then she says that is not the shortest route, as "our Bing" is set up to find the shortest route. Are you serious?

I do not go to the closest VAMC, and haven't for years and always got paid to the nearest one, which she said I was still getting paid to go to...So instead of getting on the main roads and highways they want me to head in a different direction and take "unpaved roads!" Yep it has take unpaved road 1/2 mile, turn on county road xxx and drive on unpaved road 1.5 miles and turn right and take unpaved road xyy for 1.8 miles and turn left on highway... Unpaved roads here are dirt roads with maybe a dash of gravel on some...The way I have driven for years is on the blacktop. So she sends me a letter that states I need to get an official letter from the Road commission/highway department when the roads are too muddy, icy, or wet which may cause or could potentiate an accident. SERIOUSLY!!

So not only do they get to keep the $6.00 copay but now another $6.00 too. Or yeah remember I can appeal this within 30 days too. I have appealed twice at this VAMC, and both times the FOIA officer denied it. Yet the staff can get demoted, and keep their jobs there, and keep their pay rate, and yet one vet still gets denied on their appeal. So appeal is not going to occur just to waste my time and travel there on my $ just to loose!

Edited February 7, 2013 by halos2

[71M10]

I hear you Halos!

With 6 disks playing freeze tag with my spinal cord I am very selective about what roads I drive on. Then add into that, here in Michigan your chances of a car deer collision goes way up on secondary roads. Especially when you are travelling in the wee hours of the morning, you travel early like that because you want one of the first appointments of the day (get in-get out before the schedule goes to hell!)

I guess next they will pay us based on as the crow flies because you could use a helicopter or Jet pack to get to your appointment!

The sad reality is when you tack on the cost of travel pay (for those who qualify) the VA approving Fee Basis care should be a no brainer. They actually paid me more in travel pay to do an INR test (on blood thinners) than it would have cost them to have it done in my local doctors office....Nevermind, the VA would then spend 8 times more trying to manage the payments and ensure that the contract doctor was following all the rules they impose. I guess they system we have is what we are stuck with!

[Philip Rogers]

This is such a sore subject with me. I too loose $6.00 each time I go there. I searched it on Bing and it gave my usual amount I got before, and I challenged the Travel Supervisor...she stated "The shortest way!" I said well Bing gave me this...So then she says that is not the shortest route, as "our Bing" is set up to find the shortest route. Are you serious?

I do not go to the closest VAMC, and haven't for years and always got paid to the nearest one, which she said I was still getting paid to go to...So instead of getting on the main roads and highways they want me to head in a different direction and take "unpaved roads!" Yep it has take unpaved road 1/2 mile, turn on county road xxx and drive on unpaved road 1.5 miles and turn right and take unpaved road xyy for 1.8 miles and turn left on highway... Unpaved roads here are dirt roads with maybe a dash of gravel on some...The way I have driven for years is on the blacktop. So she sends me a letter that states I need to get an official letter from the Road commission/highway department when the roads are too muddy, icy, or wet which may cause or could potentiate an accident. SERIOUSLY!!

So not only do they get to keep the $6.00 copay but now another $6.00 too. Or yeah remember I can appeal this within 30 days too. I have appealed twice at this VAMC, and both times the FOIA officer denied it. Yet the staff can get demoted, and keep their jobs there, and keep their pay rate, and yet one vet still gets denied on their appeal. So appeal is not going to occur just to waste my time and travel there on my $ just to loose!

You need to appeal, appeal, appeal, just like you would a ratings claim, which means when denied appeal to the BVA and then the CAVC. The VA's published policy, last I knew was, to use mapquest, bing, yahoo, or whomever and to use the one "most" favorable to the vet. The RO's violate that and no one follows thru w/their appeal. jmo

pr

Did you know that VA employees get 51 cents per mile and the VA takes their word as to how far they traveled???

Edited February 7, 2013 by Philip Rogers