Continuity of Care consideration for beneficiary travel is gone!

The BT office is referencing a significant, recent policy change: VHA Directive 1732(1) now **prohibits** the use of continuity of care letters to establish eligibility for beneficiary travel, which was a prior workaround for veterans seeking community care under the MISSION Act. Your eligibility is strictly governed by 38 CFR 70, which mandates that travel reimbursement is only payable for VA-authorized care. For community care, this requires a formal VA authorization (consult or referral) prior to the appointment; a continuity of care letter from your provider no longer suffices. Your actionable next step is to immediately contact the community care office at your VA medical center to determine if your optometry appointment was, in fact, properly authorized under 38 U.S.C. 1703 or 1725. If it was authorized, the BT office must process your full claim. If it was not authorized, you will not be reimbursed, and you must ensure future community care appointments are formally VA-authorized before incurring travel. You should also consider filing a formal appeal of the denied travel claim in writing with the BT office, citing the specific appointment details and requesting they verify its authorization status in the VA system.

*Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes regarding VA policy and procedure and does not constitute legal, medical, or official benefits advice. For definitive guidance on your specific claim, consult with a VA-accredited attorney, claims agent, or Veterans Service Organization (VSO).*