Beneficiary Travel Self Service System (BTSSS)

Beneficiary Travel Self Service System (BTSSS) replaces the existing legacy BT module with a modern cloud based Dynamics 365 solution. This solution provides an intuitive interface for claimants such as veterans and caregivers to submit and track their beneficiary travel claims. BTSSS provides a more veteran-focused experience for beneficiary travel reimbursements, allowing claimants to submit and track travel claims at their convenience. BTSSS also provides capabilities for beneficiaries to receive payments by electronic funds transfer and helps to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse.

Click to access BTSSS through Access VA. 

To prepare for filing your first claim with BTSSS, do these three things to help your claims processing go smoothly.

• First, sign up or update your direct deposit information with VA if appropriate.
• Second, upgrade to a Premium My HealtheVet account, create an ID.me account or sign up for a Level 2 DoD DS-Logon account. ,
• Third, log in to BTSSS for the first time, create a profile and be sure to add your direct deposit account information.

For more tips and instructions on how to use BTSSS, watch our six-video playlist.

VA offers two types of travel benefits under the Beneficiary Travel Program: general health care travel and special mode transportation. As a Veteran, you may be eligible for one or both. If you meet the criteria below, you may be eligible if you:

• Have a service-connected rating of 30% or more.
• Are traveling for treatment of a service-connected condition.
• Receive a VA pension, or your income does not exceed the maximum annual VA pension.
• Are traveling for a scheduled compensation or pension exam.
• Have vision impairment, spinal cord injury or disorder, double or multiple amputation, enrollment in VA Rehab Programs.

• Access 24 hours a day, every day
• Fast payments
• Direct deposit
• Track claims at any time

BTSSS is an online, self-reporting system that eliminates delays created by paper forms and the kiosks. An updated profile is required to file a claim online and to process previously submitted kiosk and paper claims. Filing travel claims electronically with BTSSS and using direct deposit result in the fastest payment possible.

No. But it is strongly encouraged. Eligible Veterans and caregivers can also file VA Form 10-3542 to request travel reimbursement.

BTSSS is strongly encouraged because:

• Combining electronic filing with direct deposit is the fastest way to be reimbursed.
• BTSSS provides an easy way to check the status of a travel claim.
• BTSSS is a self-adjudicating system, meaning once your account is set up properly and all your information is verified, self-submitting a claim in BTSSS means within 3-5 days you should be paid, regardless of any paper backlog the Beneficiary Travel Office may be experiencing.
• When a Veteran files a paper claim, the Beneficiary Travel Team must manually load and process that claim in BTSSS for the Veteran.  This takes significantly longer to process this way, leading to substantial backlogs, increasing the wait time to be paid for all Veterans filing this way.
• Logging into BTSSS is easy with any of these three methods -- credentials for ID.me, My HealtheVet, or a Level 2 DS-Logon account.

Travel Pay:

• Webpage — VA Travel Pay Reimbursement | Veterans Affairs
• Video — Beneficiary Travel Self-Service System (BTSSS) Introduction

Log-in Options:

• Webpage — DoD DS Logon Premium Account FAQs - My HealtheVet (va.gov)
• Webpage — ID.me Privacy and security on VA.gov | Veterans Affairs
• Webpage — Upgrading Your My HealtheVet Account - My HealtheVet (va.gov)

BTSSS:

• Video — Beneficiary Travel Self-Service System (BTSSS) Introduction
• Video — How to Access BTSSS and Create Your Login
• Video — How to set up Direct Deposit and access BTSSS
• Video — How to submit a travel reimbursement claim for a VA facility appointment
• Video — How to submit a travel reimbursement claim for a non-VA facility
• Video — How to check the status of your travel reimbursement claim

No. Only Veterans traveling to a VA transplant center are automatically eligible for BT; all others,
including Non-VA transplant care must meet BT eligibility criteria.

VA has authority to provide to eligible persons reimbursement for mileage driven in a private
vehicle, and transportation by common carrier/public transportation (any business that offers public
transportation at a set rate). In addition, when medically justified by a VA health care provider, special
mode of transportation (ambulance, wheelchair van, etc.) may be approved for BT-eligible Veterans.

The current mileage reimbursement rate is 41.5 cents per mile, subject to appropriate deductibles.
The mileage rates are different for Veterans and VA employees, according to law.

Travel benefits may be withheld when it is clinically determined that travel allowance would be
counterproductive to a Veteran’s care, treatment or therapy being provided and such determination
is recorded in the patient’s medical record.

VA is required by law to withhold certain amounts from BT mileage reimbursement payments. The
withheld money is available for travel payment of other Veterans or for medical care.

Current deductibles are $3 per one-way trip and $6 per round trip, with a maximum deductible of
$18 per calendar month or six one-way (3 round) trips, whichever occurs first. These are the totals for
travel to all VA or authorized non-VA facilities within a month. The following individuals are exempt
from the deductible:
• Veterans traveling in conjunction with a C&P examination
• Non-Veterans (donors, caregivers and attendants)
• Veterans requiring a special mode of transportation
• Veterans for whom VA determines the imposition of the deductible would cause a severe financial
hardship (see next question)

Yes. A waiver may be requested either orally or in writing when the deductible causes a “severe
financial hardship” for a Veteran. A severe financial hardship occurs when:
• A Veteran is in receipt of a VA pension (Aid and Attendance (A&A) and Housebound (HB) benefits
for 100% SC Veterans are “special monthly compensation,” and are not considered a VA pension.)
• A non-service connected Veteran’s income for the year prior to application or the projected
income for the year of application (current year) does not exceed the appropriate VA pension
level
• A service-connected Veteran’s income is at or below the VA income limit for the year prior to
application or projected for the year of application. For more information about VA income limits,
visit VA Income Thresholds.
VA will automatically grant the waiver without request from the Veteran when it can determine a
Veteran qualifies for a waiver of the deductible.

Special mode transportation includes ambulance, ambulette, air ambulance, wheelchair van and
other modes that are specially designed to transport certain disabled individuals. Special mode
DOES NOT include public transportation, such as (any business that offers public transportation
at a set rate) or a privately-owned vehicle with special adaptive equipment and/or capable of
transporting disabled persons.
To be eligible for special mode transportation, two criteria must be met:
• A Veteran has to first meet one or more BT administratively eligibility (see first question) and
• A VA clinician must determine and document that a special mode of transportation is medically
required to transport the Veteran in relation to VA or VA-authorized health care. Should it be
clinically determined at one VA facility that special mode transportation is required, this should be
accepted at all VA facilities unless there is an indication a Veteran’s condition may have changed.

There is no authority to provide transportation through the BT program for those who do not meet
eligibility requirements, except in the case of VA organ transplant care.

Veterans who do not meet BT eligibility may qualify for other transportation resources, including the
Disabled American Veterans (DAV) transportation network, Veterans Transportation Service (VTS) and
local, state or other Federal programs. VA will assist the Veteran in exploring available options.

VA has authority to pay for transportation of BT-eligible Veterans to a non-VA health care
appointment only if the care is being paid for by VA.

Veterans have the choice to go to any VA facility they choose for care; however, travel can only be
paid to the nearest facility that can actually provide the needed care. If a Veteran chooses to go to
a facility other than the one closest to his or her home, he or she is responsible for any costs beyond
that for transportation to the nearest facility, including mileage and special mode transportation. If
VA determines, either for administrative or clinical reasons that a specific facility, including one that
may be more distant, is the appropriate place for care, then travel is paid to that facility.

VA determines mileage using the shortest route by time. VA uses Bing maps to calculate the
mileage. Deviations are allowed when an identified route is impassable or documented as clinically
inappropriate.

BT is intended to assist Veterans with transportation costs from their place of residence, or other
place they are staying if not their permanent residence, to the closest VA or VA-authorized health care
facility that can provide the required care, treatment or services. To determine appropriate travel
reimbursement, the Veteran must establish a place of residence or where travel started. A Veteran
may be asked to provide documentation establishing his or her address.

Yes. VA can provide travel in certain emergency situations.
• Transport from a VA facility to a community facility for emergency treatment: If a Veteran
develops an emergency while receiving care at a VA facility and the facility cannot provide the
needed care, transport to a community provider and back to the VA facility can be provided at
VA expense, regardless of the Veteran’s BT eligibility when the non-VA care is approved for VA
payment.
• Transport from any point other than a VA facility to a community facility for emergency treatment:
If the emergency episode of care at the non-VA facility is approved for VA payment then transport
from the point of emergency to the non-VA facility can be approved for VA payment. ; However,
once medically stabilized at the community provider, the Veteran must meet BT and medical
eligibility criteria for further transportation at VA expense.

VA has the authority to pay for transportation and associated incidental costs (lodging, food, etc.) at
VA expense of non-Veterans including attendants and donors when one of the following applies:
• It is clinically determined by a VA provider that, due to the Veterans mental or physical condition,
an attendant is required when transporting the Veteran.
• The non-Veteran is the donor or potential donor of tissue, organ or parts to a Veteran receiving VA
or VA-authorized non-VA transplant health care
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Sept 2022
• In the case of an Allied Beneficiary, travel and reimbursement has been authorized by the
appropriate foreign government agency
• Travel and reimbursement is authorized by another Federal Agency when VA care is provided to a
beneficiary of that agency
• The individual is a “Caregiver” under the national Caregiver program and is traveling in relation to
initial training as a potential caregiver or travel is in conjunction with an associated Veteran’s VA or
VA-authorized health care

VA may provide reimbursement for the actual cost, up to 50% of the local government employee rate
for meals and/or lodging, when appropriate and upon presentation of receipts. The need for lodging
and/or meals is determined on a case-by-case basis and is based on the Veteran’s medical condition,
distance required to travel and any other extenuating circumstances. Such items should generally
be requested and authorized in advance of travel however, certain unusual circumstances may allow
for approval after travel has occurred. Reimbursement is not provided solely because the Veteran
chooses to stop or take a less direct route to VA or VA-authorized care.

Reimbursement for these and/or other accessories of travel may be provided on presentation of an
appropriate receipt. Prior to travel individuals traveling at VA expense should be aware of items that
may be reimbursed, any travel restrictions (such as the amount of luggage authorized) and the need
to provide receipts to obtain reimbursement. Reimbursement is determined on a case-by-case basis
based on individual needs and condition of the beneficiary.

VA has limited authority to provide travel for such requests. Transport may be approved for BTeligible
Veterans if the cost to the government is less than to the originating home of record.
Otherwise, only Veterans receiving inpatient care at a VA facility or a non-VA facility at VA expense
and who are in a terminal condition (estimated less than 6 months to live) can be transferred to a
suitable health care facility in an area other than where they lived when they entered the VA facility.
This transfer can occur only from one VA facility to another, or when VA is paying for care at a non-VA
facility and future care will be at VA expense. Veterans receiving care on an outpatient basis are not
eligible for such transportation.

Payment for the return trip will be for the distance (mileage) to the Veteran’s new residence.
However, payment may not exceed the amount that would be allowed from the facility where the
care or services could have been provided that is nearest to the new residence.
For example, if during a period of care or services in Baltimore, a beneficiary changed his or her
address to Detroit, payment for the return trip would be limited to that allowed for traveling to the
new residence from the nearest facility to the new residence in Detroit where the care or services
could have been provided.

Claims for travel reimbursement or payment must be filed in accordance with the following
guidelines:
• Mileage reimbursement: Application either in person or in writing must occur within 30 calendar
days after completion of travel.
• Special mode of transportation: Except in cases of emergency, special mode transportation
should be approved and arranged in advance of travel.
• Emergency transportation: VA should be notified as soon possible, but no later than 30 days from
the date of travel, when special mode transport not authorized by VA prior to travel to a non-VA
facility occurs.
• Change in BT eligibility: If a person becomes eligible for BT after the travel takes place, payment
may be made if the person applies for travel benefits within 30 days of the date when the person
became eligible for travel benefits.
The date of an application for BT is the postmark date if mailed or the date of submission if hand
delivered or requested verbally.

BT-eligible Veteran employees and Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) patients will be provided
round-trip mileage reimbursement in the same manner as other travel-eligible Veterans when they
receive scheduled VA health care on the same day they are working. In cases of unscheduled visits,
if the employee or CWT patient is seen as a Veteran (rather than an employee), he or she may be
reimbursed for one-way travel the same as other Veterans. Volunteers are not employees and are
therefore eligible for BT whether or not they volunteer on the same day as their appointment.

To collect travel benefits for transporting to VA care or treatment, a Veteran or other eligible
beneficiary must actually incur an expense. Should one or more Veterans travel together in a private
vehicle, only the owner of the vehicle is actually incurring expenses and is the only person who may
obtain travel reimbursement. However, when multiple Veterans share a vehicle where passengers
must pay for their transport, such as a taxi or when one Veteran pays another Veteran for transport,
then all are eligible to travel reimbursement at either the mileage reimbursement rate or actual
expense, whichever is less. Such persons must provide a receipt to indicate an incurred expense to
receive reimbursement. Veterans, who take no-pay transportation, such as DAV transportation, VA
VTS or other no-cost city or state transportation, are only eligible for reimbursement for any travel
to and from their residence to point of pick-up or drop-off, as they are not otherwise incurring an
expense.