Vets collecting more for health care travel
November 18, 2008
The reimbursement for veterans increased from 28.5 cents a mile on Monday. The increase was part of a record $16.3 billion increase in spending approved by Congress this year. President Bush signed the legislation before the elections.
Written by , The Associated Press
newsblaze.com
WASHINGTON — Veterans can now collect 41.5 cents per mile for reimbursement for cost of travel to Veterans Affairs facilities for medical care, a Texas congressman reminded former service members Tuesday.
The reimbursement for veterans increased from 28.5 cents a mile on Monday. The increase was part of a record $16.3 billion increase in spending approved by Congress this year. President Bush signed the legislation before the elections.
Rep. Chet Edwards, chairman of the House subcommittee that oversees spending on veterans care, said travel reimbursements were frozen at 11 cents a mile since 1979 when gasoline was 95 cents a gallon until Congress passed a bill in January raising it to 28.5 cents per mile. A second bill that funds government through Sept. 30, 2009, added the increase now in effect.
"This might not seem like a lot of money to a lot of people, but to rural veterans, it could be the difference between getting health care and going without," Edwards said.
Deductibles for mileage reimbursement will decrease on Jan. 9, 2009, from $7.77 for a one-way trip to $3 and from $15.54 to $6 round trip. The maximum deductible of $46.42 per month will drop to $16, according to Veterans Affairs.
Related Stories
Fair Use Notice
This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a "fair use" of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond "fair use", you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.