The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pays eligible veterans and caregivers for mileage and other travel expenses to and from approved health care appointments, but the rate of reimbursement has not kept up with inflation. Fifteen years ago, Congress passed legislation establishing the minimum mileage reimbursement rate at $0.41 per mile, which at the time was comparable to rates federal employees were reimbursed for work-related travel. 

That law also gave VA permission to raise its reimbursement rates to match the federal government rate for its employees, but they have yet to exercise that authority. Since that time, VA’s travel mileage reimbursement rate has remained stagnant, even while gas prices and other costs like auto insurance and vehicle maintenance costs have increased significantly. The current mileage reimbursement rate for federal employees is $0.70 per mile. 

The Driver Reimbursement Increase for Veteran Equity Act (DRIVE Act) would rectify the discrepancy in reimbursement related to travel expenses for veterans and their caregivers, paying them on par with the federal standard.

PVA Position: 

Congress must pass the Driver Reimbursement Increase for Veteran Equity Act (H.R. 1288/S. 599), which would tie veterans’ mileage reimbursement to the rate government employees receive for using their personal vehicles for government business.