Travel for Treatment Legislative Reform

If you have paid to travel to health appointments, or to get medical evidence, we may reimburse some of the costs. 

What is travel for treatment?

DVA provides eligible clients and their attendant with access to transport and reimbursement of costs associated with seeking treatment for conditions covered by their Veteran Card. 

Travel expenses may include: kilometre allowance for private vehicle costs, public transport, community transport, ambulance services, taxis, rideshare, parking and tolls in some circumstances.

Travel expenses may also be reimbursed for accommodation and meals if the Veteran Card holder reasonably requires these to obtain treatment. 

Currently, eligibility and entitlements for travel reimbursement depend on which Act you fall under - VEA, DRCA or MRCA. 

What will happen from 1 July 2026?

From 1 July 2026, travel for treatment reimbursement claims and entitlements will be considered under the MRCA. 

Travel in a private vehicle will be reimbursed at the rate of $0.68/km for all eligible treatment card holders. This is a higher rate than is payable under the VEA (which is currently $0.43/km).

When travelling by private vehicle, The MRCA minimum distance requirement of 50km return trip is also being removed.   Note that currently, there are some circumstances where trips under 50km may be reimbursed, so please visit the DRCA or MRCA pages for more information.  

Additional Resources

There is a range of additional resources available on the Legislation Reform website covering a variety of topics. 

There are individual pages for different veteran cohorts including VEA veterans, DRCA veterans, MRCA veterans and family members of veterans.