Access to the Booked Car with Driver (BCWD) Service

Veteran Gold and White Card holders with eligibility under the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 (VEA) may have access to the BCWD service, where DVA arranges taxi or hire car transport on your behalf with no out of pocket expenses. 

Access to the BCWD service

Veteran Gold Card and Veteran White Card holders with eligibility under the VEA may have access to the BCWD service. 

The BCWD service is designed to meet the needs of clients experiencing vulnerability and access requires certain criteria to be met based on age, treatment location and medical condition/s.

• Access to the BCWD service - infographic (PDF 306KB)

If you cannot access the BCWD service

If you cannot access the BCWD service, you may be eligible to claim full reimbursement of taxi, community transport and public transport fares when travelling for approved treatment. The following pages have more information on claiming reimbursement for travelling expenses:

• Claim travel expenses under the VEA
• We may repay your travel costs under MRCA or DRCA

You can also contact us to discuss your transport options.

What you can receive

We may arrange for a taxi or hire car to take you from your home to your closest practical treatment location, with no out of pocket expenses.

If you live a long distance from your closest practical treatment location, we may provide you with a pre-arranged flight or rail transport.  This is only when it is clinically necessary and is the most suitable and economical means of transport.

Access if you are aged over 80, or legally blind or living with dementia (full access)

Veteran Gold Card holder

You can access the BCWD service to travel to all approved treatment locations if you are a Veteran Gold Card holder who is any of the following:

• aged 80 years or over; OR
• legally blind (any age); OR
• living with dementia (any age).

Veteran White Card holder

You can access the BCWD service to travel to all approved treatment locations if you are a Veteran White Card holder who is:

• travelling for treatment of an accepted service-related condition/s or specific condition/s covered under Non-Liability Health Care (NLHC)

and you meet any of the following:

• aged 80 years or over; OR
• legally blind (any age); OR
• living with dementia (any age).

Access if you are aged 79 years or younger

Veteran Gold Card holder

If you are a Veteran Gold Card holder aged 79 years or younger, you can access the BCWD service if you meet both of the following conditions:

• you are travelling to a specific treatment location; and
• you have 1 or more of the specific medical conditions.

If you are a Veteran White Card holder aged 79 years or younger, you can access the BCWD service if you meet all of the following conditions:

• you are travelling for treatment of an accepted service-related condition/s or specific condition/s covered under NLHC;
• you are travelling to a specific treatment location; and
• you have 1 or more of the specific medical conditions.

The specific treatment locations

• former Repatriation General Hospitals
• public and private hospitals, including outpatient services
• providers of prosthetics; surgical footwear and orthotics
• Office of Hearing Services accredited providers
• medical specialist rooms
• radiology, imaging and pathology services

Travel to specific treatment locations does not include:

• general practitioners and allied health services (other than those included)
• dental providers
• optical dispensers

The specific medical conditions

• frailty that severely limits your independence
• recent surgery or treatment severely affecting your capacity to use public transport
• conditions that make travelling on public transport challenging (such as incontinence)
• respiratory insufficiency severely limiting independent activity
• amputation severely limiting independence
• arthritis severely limiting independence
• significant trauma
• recent coronary occlusion severely limiting independence
• peripheral vascular disease severely limiting independence
• cardiac failure severely limiting independence
• psychosis
• hemiplegia
• ataxia

How much you pay

There will be no cost to you if we arrange your transport.

How to make a booking

To book transport you can either:

• book online using MyService
• call 1800 550 455. 

If your health provider is registered with our online services, they can request transport through their online account.

Your authorised representative, health provider or medically required attendant can also call 1800 550 455 to make a booking on your behalf.

If you live a long distance from your treatment provider and you require long distance transport, please call us on 1800 550 455.

Please note that transport requests made online or through MyService outside of business hours may not be confirmed until the next business day.  Please refer to 'Travelling after hours or on weekends' below for alternative options to ensure your travel arrangements are in place. 

Travelling after hours or on weekends

If you need travel for treatment after hours or on the weekend, you need to contact us during office hours to book.  If your transport has not been pre-arranged and you need to travel for treatment, you will need to pay for your travel and submit a claim for reimbursement. 

Specific travel arrangements

Please tell us when you make your booking if you require specific travel arrangements such as:

• requiring a wheelchair accessible vehicle
• travelling with your medically required attendant
• travelling with an Assistance Dog

How to book transport online with MyService

Transcript of How to book transport online with MyService