VA Increases Travel Reimbursement for Eligible Veterans
January 31, 2008
BVA Legislative contacts, regional groups, and BVA friends.
The veterans’ service organizations collectively tried repeatedly for the past few sessions of congress to get VA to increase the reimbursement for travel for veterans from the current 11 cents a mile up to closer to federal employee level. Senator Tester from Montana and others were successful in including in the FY 2008 MILCON VA appropriations $124 million to cover costs of increasing this rate. While this may not seem as much as it should have been, veterans have to know that the funds for changes like this come out of the medical care budget, making it difficult to get these increases. While we would prefer that it be a different source of funding the administration has repeatedly urged congress not to establish yet again another different funding site. The administration has also argued this is money being taken away from clinical care.
Again, the various VSO’s including the Blinded Veterans Association worked this issue and we actually talked directly to Senator Tester on this issue last November and will continue to fight for more increases in the future session of congress.
VA Increases Travel Reimbursement for Eligible Veterans
Peake: Disabled Veterans Earned Increase
WASHINGTON (January 31, 2008) – Over a million eligible veterans will see their mileage reimbursement more than double starting tomorrow, for travel to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities.
“This increase helps veterans -- especially those living in rural areas -- offset some of the gasoline costs as they travel to VA’s world-class health care,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. “Increasing the mileage reimbursement is one more step by VA to help veterans access the health care they deserve.”
The 2008 appropriations act provided funding for VA to increase the beneficiary travel mileage reimbursement rate from 11 cents per mile to 28.5 cents per mile. The increase goes into effect on Feb. 1.
After little more then a month on the job, Secretary Peake used his authority to establish the first increase in the mileage reimbursement in 30 years, fulfilling a pledge he made during his Senate confirmation hearing last month.
While increasing the payment, VA, as mandated by law, also equally increased the deductible amounts applied to certain mileage reimbursements. The new deductibles are $7.77 for a one way trip, $15.54 for a round trip, with a maximum of $46.62 per calendar month. However, these deductibles can be waived if they cause a financial hardship to the veteran.
Tom Zampieri
Director Government Relations
Blinded Veterans Association
Washington,
DC
BVA's Legislative Alerts Group
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