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Beneficiary Travel Self Service System (BTSSS)

Process your beneficiary travel reimbursement claims online via BTSSS.

btsss

What is Beneficiary Travel Self Service System (BTSSS)?

VA's Beneficiary Travel Program

The VA's Beneficiary Travel Program is a 24/7 online portal to submit travel reimbursement claims. 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 Beneficiary Travel Self-Service System (BTSSS). This online system 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

As a first-time user, how can I make the process go smoothly?

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

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

Am I eligible?

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.

What are the benefits of BTSSS?

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

How is this different from the paper forms and kiosks formerly used to file travel claims?

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.

Do I have to use BTSSS to file a claim?

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.

Online resources and help

Call the Tampa VA Beneficiary Travel Department at

813-816-7150 (option 6, then option 2).

For additional help, call Tampa VA's Beneficiary Travel toll-free call center at

Beneficiary Travel
813-816-7150 (option 6, then option 2). Hours: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Need help from another facility? Search online for VA Travel Offices across the US