Health care
VA Travel Pay: Mileage Rate and Deductible
The current VA mileage rate, the deductible and when it does not apply.
The 30-day rule. File within 30 days of the appointment; late claims are usually denied. Full filing steps, who qualifies and what needs approval first are on our travel and lodging benefits page.
The numbers (VA page updated 24 July 2026)
- Mileage: 41.5 cents per mile for approved, health-related travel.
- Deductible: $3 one way, or $6 round trip, per appointment, up to $18 total in a month. After $18 in a month, VA pays the full cost of your approved travel for the rest of that month.
- No deductible for a scheduled C&P exam trip or travel by special mode of transportation. VA can also waive it for severe financial hardship (a VA pension, or income under the set limit). Source: 38 CFR 70.31.
- VA figures your miles on the fastest and shortest route from your home to the closest VA or authorized non-VA health facility.
- Payment timing: VA pages disagree. VA Erie health care says within 3 to 5 days online with direct deposit; VA News says 5 to 7 days. Plan on about a week.
Everything else (who qualifies, preapproval, how to file) is on our travel and lodging benefits page.
Mileage rate and deductible
Mileage41.5 cents
Deductible$3 one way
After $18full cost
Free help
If you also have a disability claim question, free help is here: Find an accredited representative (free if it is a Veterans Service Organization representative).
Where to call and where to go
Phone
- BTSSS (Beneficiary Travel) toll-free help line: 855-574-7292. VA's file-a-claim page lists Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET; other VA pages list 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., so call during the day. TTY: 711. Number source: VA News and VA Erie health care
- VA benefits hotline, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET: 1-800-827-1000 (TTY: 711). Source: VA regional benefit office page and va.gov/contact-us
- Veterans Crisis Line, 24/7: 988, then select 1. Source: Helpful VA phone numbers
Official pages