Waste of the Day: VA Phantom Travel
Topline: The Department of Veterans Affairs made $1 billion in improper payments from 2018 to 2024 while reimbursing veterans for travel to doctors’ appointments, according to a review from the Government Accountability Office.
Key facts: Veterans with federal health insurance and their caregivers get coverage for gas, meals, lodging, taxis and more for approved medical appointments through the Beneficiary Travel Program. But huge amounts of money have been paid for travel that was inexpensive or potentially never happened, according to the audit.
The Beneficiary Travel Program made $215 million in improper payments in 2018, or 24% of all travel reimbursements. In 2024, there were $150 million in improper payments, or 8% of all reimbursements.
Some of the mistakes came because VA officials entered data incorrectly and reimbursed veterans for more miles than they actually traveled. Other times, beneficiaries never submitted the proper forms showing their appointments were medically necessary, but they were reimbursed anyway.
Most improper payments are not intentionally criminal, but the VA did prosecute 10 people who submitted 892 fraudulent insurance claims worth $219,000 from 2018 to 2024. The most common scheme was veterans lying about their address to make it seem like they had traveled many miles to reach a doctor.
There may have been other instances of fraud that never reached prosecution because the dollar amount was low, according to the GAO.
The overall cost of the travel program has skyrocketed from about $900 million in 2018 to $2.3 billion in 2025.
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Summary: The best way to care for our nation’s veterans is through a healthcare system with strong fraud controls and sound fiscal management.
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