VA Deploys New Text-Based Process for Easier, Faster Travel Pay Reimbursement, Patient Check-In

The new option, called Patient Check-In, or PCI, enables Veterans to file a mileage-only travel reimbursement claim and perform self-check-in activities within 45 minutes of arriving at their appointment using their smartphone. 

“Through our VEText appointment reminder system, Veterans receive an initial text, usually a week before their upcoming appointment,” said Marc Goldsmith, Mobility Manager at Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital. “Once the Veteran confirms the appointment via text, a second text acknowledges receipt of the confirmation and provides additional information. On the day of their appointment, the Veteran will receive a text 15 to 45 minutes beforehand with an option to file a travel reimbursement claim and check-in electronically. The patient must be on-site at their clinic to use the PCI option.”

The main purpose of the new system is to provide Veterans with a faster, more convenient way to file a travel reimbursement claim using their smartphone, while at the same time avoiding lines at the check-in desk when they arrive. Veterans also receive their travel pay reimbursement faster using the new PCI option.

“Veterans always have the option to file their travel claim online and check-in for an appointment with a staff member,” Goldsmith said. “Our staff are honored to check Veterans in for their appointments and to answer questions they may have about travel claims and our new PCI option.”

“Above all, Veterans are at the center of everything we do,” Goldsmith added. “Veterans, caregivers, and VA staff helped to design this new option by providing feedback during every step of the process.”

Jeff Hoelscher, Public Affairs Officer

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