Travel pay

[Combat eng]

How is the VA doing travel pay? I have to travel for physical therapy due to knee replacement. I heard a couple of guys discussing the topic and one was saying that you could do it online. I didn't get involved in their conversation. I come to all of you guys for all of my questions. I know where to get credible info, since joining this site I've gone from 10% to 70% by submitting on own claims. I truly thank all of you. I share all of the knowledge I view on this site with a lot of older vets that don't have access to or don't care for computers. Sorry for rambling on.

[Buck52]

Roger that  brokensolider...   ...What is BTSSS Site? This is New to me  sorry.

[Buck52]

Got It.

Beginning November 2, 2020, Veterans, caregivers, and beneficiaries who are eligible for reimbursement of mileage and other travel expenses to and from approved health care appointments can now enter claims in the new Beneficiary Travel Self-Service System (BTSSS). BTSSS simplifies the current claim submission process for beneficiaries and ensures timely processing and payment of travel reimbursements.

Submit claims online 24/7, 365 days a year

Track the status of submitted claims

Reduce processing time for submitted claims

Use self-help tools to make claim submissions fast and easy

Visit AccessVA, select submit a travel claim, and logon using a DS Log on account.

A DS Logon is an ID issued by DoD that will allows Veterans and caregivers to access many VA and DoD sites with one user username and password. Need a DS Log on?

[kanewnut]

17 hours ago, Buck52 said:

BTSSS simplifies the current claim submission process

I call total BS on this!

[kanewnut]

22 hours ago, brokensoldier244th said:

They can't see that I went already? Weird,  but, ok. They can pull up the appointments in order to log them on the site I assumed they could see them, too. 

I asked about that when talking to travel and they said no. There was no mention of it on the page they sent me announcing the change.

[brokensoldier244th]

Just now, kanewnut said:

I call total BS on this!

I don't complain about VA that much- for the most part I haven't had some of the issues you guys have had. That said, I used to work IT (15 yrs, almost) from deskside to enterprise level, and VA's IT is a mess. Honestly, its part of why I work for them. I love working claims, don't get me wrong, but my BS is in IT and Systems Analysis with some programming, my MS Ed. is in designing and converting curriculum and systems to run distributed learning (online school). VA's IT is a mess, and OIG agrees with me.

 

My dream job would be to either work in the National training to redesign VA online and continuing educational materials, or to work in IT in general and try to help figure out their IT problem. They throw money at things with no fruition, or it ends up being done half assed by contractors and its never fully implemented or efficient. Our INTERNAL systems are the same way, so I feel your pain, believe me. Part of my work daily is done remoted into systems that look like something from the movie "Hackers" or "Wargames" and they are just about as finicky and slow. 

[brokensoldier244th]

Ah ha.....and there it is. Again, externally if I can see them there is no reason for them not to be able to, also. All VA employees have background checks and are cleared at differing levels to deal with PHI and PII (personal information). There is no legal/privacy reason that they should not be able to see that stuff. and cross reference it. I haven't even gotten a letter that tells me if I need to do something- they just sit in manual review and my work schedule is such that by the time I get off work, pick up the kids from school, etc, I can't call VA because they are closed. Grrrr....