By: Jen Goodale

For veterans who travel long distances for medical appointments, access to earned care starts well before they reach the clinic. Transportation costs can strain a household budget, especially for veterans on a fixed income or those whose treatment requires repeated visits.

Yet VA’s mileage reimbursement rate has remained stuck at 41.5 cents per mile since 2008. Nearly 18 years without an increase has allowed inflation to steadily erode the benefit’s purchasing power. Veterans must cover today’s transportation costs with a reimbursement rate built for a different economy.

The bipartisan, bicameral Driver Reimbursement Increase for Veteran Equity (DRIVE) Act, led in the House by Rep. Julia Brownley (D-Calif.) and in the Senate by Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), would address that gap.

The legislation would require VA’s mileage reimbursement rate to be at least equal to the General Services Administration (GSA) rate for federal employees using personal vehicles on official business when no government vehicle is available – 76 cents per mile as of July 1, 2026. It also would require mileage reimbursements to be paid within 90 days after a request is properly submitted.