How Can Veterans Get Transportation to Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center?

Where is Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center?

The official destination is:

Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center
1111 East End Boulevard
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711-0030
Main phone: 570-824-3521

The medical center provides primary and specialty services, including dental care, surgery, pain management, podiatry, urology and orthopedics. Individual clinic hours vary even though the main facility has around-the-clock operations. Confirm the exact appointment department and time through the official Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center page.

The VA says wheelchairs are available on campus for patients who need one to access the building. That does not mean the VA provides a wheelchair-accessible ride from home. A passenger who cannot safely reach the vehicle, board a standard van or travel without remaining in a wheelchair should arrange appropriate transportation before leaving home.

What details should be confirmed before booking?

The street address alone may not be enough for a smooth arrival. Before scheduling a ride, confirm:

1. The appointment date and required arrival time
2. The clinic, service or department
3. The building, floor and room when listed
4. The recommended entrance or drop-off point
5. Whether the Veteran needs to check in early
6. Whether a caregiver or attendant must accompany the Veteran
7. Whether the appointment involves sedation or a procedure
8. The estimated completion time and return-pickup process

Use the appointment notice, My HealtheVet information or the clinic’s instructions. If anything is unclear, call the medical center at 570-824-3521 before the transportation date.

Transportation options for Veterans

Family or caregiver transportation

A family member, friend or neighbor may drive when the Veteran can safely enter the vehicle and the driver can manage both the outbound and return trips.

Eligible Veterans may be able to claim mileage, parking or tolls through VA Beneficiary Travel. Keep receipts and confirm eligibility. Mileage reimbursement is not the same as having VA pay a private transportation company directly.

Do not ask an untrained person to lift the Veteran, carry a wheelchair user or complete an unsafe transfer. If the available vehicle cannot accommodate the passenger, use an appropriate accessible service.

DAV van transportation

The Wilkes-Barre VA works with Disabled American Veterans and county Veterans Affairs directors to provide free rides for Veterans who do not have other transportation options.

The official VA guidance sets important limits:

• DAV rides are for scheduled medical appointments.
• Individual routes and schedules vary.
• Passengers must be ambulatory and able to board and exit without driver assistance.
• A caregiver or attendant may require authorization from a VA physician or VA-certified nurse practitioner.
• Drivers cannot wait for passengers who are not ready at the scheduled time.
• Space for discharges may be available only when the Veteran is ready for the van’s scheduled trip back to the county.
• DAV vans are not emergency vehicles.

To request a ride, use the VA’s DAV van information for Wilkes-Barre health care and contact the Hospital Service Coordinator serving the Veteran’s county. If the correct local contact is unclear, call the Wilkes-Barre VA main number and ask for transportation assistance.

Because DAV transportation is free, VA states that a rider cannot also claim travel reimbursement for that same no-cost trip.

Veterans Transportation Program

The Veterans Transportation Program helps connect qualifying Veterans with rides to VA healthcare facilities and authorized non-VA care. Availability and operating details are local.

The VA’s current directory identifies the Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center and its mobility manager within the Veterans Transportation Program. Phone numbers may be presented differently as VA systems change, so the safest approach is to call 570-824-3521, select the appropriate option or ask the operator for the Veterans Transportation Program representative or Beneficiary Travel Office.

Ask:

• Does the Veteran qualify for transportation assistance?
• Is service available from the pickup county?
• How far in advance must the trip be requested?
• Is the service wheelchair accessible?
• May an authorized caregiver ride?
• Does the program provide the return trip?
• What happens if the appointment runs late?

Do not assume that enrollment in VA healthcare automatically reserves transportation.

LCTA fixed-route and shared-ride transportation

The Wilkes-Barre VA lists LCTA bus and LCTA Shared Ride Paratransit among local transportation options. These services have their own routes, registration rules, operating hours and reservation requirements.

Fixed-route transportation may suit a Veteran who can reach the stop, wait safely, board and exit the bus and travel from the drop-off point to the clinic. Shared ride may help eligible passengers who need another type of local public transportation.

Before relying on LCTA, confirm:

• Whether the pickup address and VA destination are served
• Whether the passenger must register first
• The required advance notice
• Wheelchair or mobility-device compatibility
• Pickup windows and shared-ride timing
• Return service after the appointment
• Holiday and weather operations

Do not describe an LCTA ride as a VA benefit. It is a separate local transportation service.

Private non-emergency medical transportation

Non-emergency medical transportation may be appropriate when the Veteran is medically stable but cannot drive, cannot use a standard vehicle or needs more assistance than a volunteer van or basic rideshare provides.

Private NEMT may support:

• Primary and specialty appointments
• Imaging, laboratory and diagnostic visits
• Physical therapy and rehabilitation
• Eye, dental, podiatry and orthopedic appointments
• Cancer treatment or dialysis appointments
• Medically stable hospital discharges
• Veterans using wheelchairs or walkers
• Veterans who must travel lying down but do not need clinical monitoring
• Local and longer-distance VA-related trips

When booking privately, request a complete quote and confirm whether the Veteran will pay directly. If VA reimbursement is expected, obtain approval from the VA Beneficiary Travel Office before the trip whenever required.

Understanding VA Beneficiary Travel and BTSSS

The VA Beneficiary Travel program can reimburse eligible Veterans and caregivers for approved travel to VA healthcare or VA-authorized community care. The Beneficiary Travel Self-Service System, commonly called BTSSS, is the online system used to file and manage claims.

Transportation benefits are not automatic for every Veteran or every expense.

Who may qualify for VA travel pay?

According to VA, the Veteran must be traveling for care at a VA facility or for VA-approved care at a non-VA facility. At least one additional eligibility condition must also apply, such as:

• A VA disability rating of 30% or higher
• Travel for treatment of a service-connected condition
• Receipt of a VA pension
• Income below the applicable VA pension threshold
• Inability to afford travel under VA guidelines
• Travel for an eligible scheduled claim examination, service-dog purpose or approved transplant care

Some medically required attendants and qualifying caregivers may also be eligible. The VA—not the transportation provider—decides eligibility and payment.

Which expenses may be covered?

Depending on eligibility and authorization, VA travel pay may include mileage, parking, tolls and some transportation expenses.

VA states that regular transportation—including bus, taxi or rideshare—and special-mode transportation such as an ambulance or specially equipped vehicle require preapproval. Mileage, parking and toll claims follow separate rules.

For special-mode transportation, VA generally requires:

1. Travel to a VA facility or approved community care
2. Eligibility for Beneficiary Travel
3. A VA provider’s determination that the medical condition requires an ambulance or specially equipped vehicle
4. VA approval before travel, except in a qualifying emergency

These rules are particularly important for wheelchair or stretcher transportation. Do not book privately and assume VA will reimburse the expense afterward.

How to file a claim

Eligible Veterans and caregivers can use VA’s travel reimbursement and BTSSS guidance to file online. VA also permits filing by mail or in person using VA Form 10-3542.

VA advises claimants to:

• Set up direct deposit specifically for travel pay
• Keep transportation, parking, toll and approved-expense receipts
• Obtain proof of attendance for community-care appointments
• File within 30 days; claims filed later are usually denied
• File a separate claim for each appointment

The transportation receipt supports a claim but does not guarantee that VA will approve it.

When private NEMT may be the practical choice

A Veteran may choose private transportation when:

• DAV or VA transportation is unavailable for the appointment time
• The passenger cannot meet the DAV ambulatory requirement
• A wheelchair-accessible vehicle is required
• The Veteran needs limited walking or boarding assistance
• A direct ride is preferred instead of a shared route
• The appointment is early, late or changed at short notice
• A caregiver needs coordinated pickup information
• The return time is uncertain
• The Veteran is traveling from outside the immediate Wilkes-Barre area
• The passenger must travel lying down and is medically stable

Private NEMT is a transportation service, not a clinical VA benefit. The patient or caregiver should decide whether to pay privately or seek VA preapproval before scheduling.

Choosing the correct vehicle

Ambulatory transportation

Ambulatory transportation is for a medically stable Veteran who can walk independently or with limited assistance. The person may use a cane or walker but must be able to travel safely in the assigned vehicle.

Tell the dispatcher about:

• Cane or walker use
• Difficulty with steps
• Limited walking distance
• Need for a steady arm
• Recent surgery or weakness
• Portable equipment
• Building or residence access barriers

Wheelchair-accessible transportation

Wheelchair transportation is appropriate when the Veteran remains in a wheelchair and needs a ramp or lift and a suitable securement system.

Provide:

• Manual wheelchair, power wheelchair or mobility scooter
• Dimensions and combined passenger/device weight when requested
• Whether the passenger can transfer
• Positioning supports and unusual attachments
• Steps, narrow doors or elevator problems
• Caregiver or attendant request

Remember that campus wheelchairs available on arrival do not solve the home pickup or vehicle-boarding problem.

Non-emergency stretcher transportation

Non-emergency stretcher transportation may suit a medically stable Veteran who cannot remain seated and must travel lying down.

It is not an ambulance. If the Veteran needs clinical monitoring, medication administration, active oxygen management or emergency treatment during the trip, the care team should decide whether an ambulance or another medically staffed service is necessary.

If VA payment is requested for a specially equipped vehicle, contact Beneficiary Travel before the trip and follow its medical-necessity and preapproval requirements.

How to schedule a private ride to the VA

1. Confirm the appointment details

Get the clinic, building, room, required arrival time and drop-off instructions. Confirm that the appointment is at the main Wilkes-Barre VA campus rather than a community-based outpatient clinic.

2. Describe the Veteran’s mobility

Explain whether the passenger walks, transfers, uses a wheelchair or must lie down. Mention recent changes, steps and portable equipment.

3. Decide how the trip will be paid

Ask VA about DAV/VTP availability and Beneficiary Travel before booking if reimbursement is important. Otherwise, request a private-pay quote and terms.

4. Reserve outbound and return transportation

Do not assume a one-way reservation includes the return. Discuss a fixed return, will-call pickup or wait-and-return arrangement.

5. Confirm caregiver plans

Ask whether a family member or attendant will ride and whether the VA clinic requires that person for the procedure or discharge.

6. Reconfirm before travel

Verify the date, pickup window, vehicle type, destination, VA entrance and return procedure.

Booking checklist

• Veteran’s name and callback number
• Authorized caregiver contact
• Exact pickup address
• Appointment date
• Required VA arrival time
• Clinic, building, floor and room
• Recommended entrance
• One-way or round-trip request
• Expected appointment duration
• Walking and transfer ability
• Cane, walker, wheelchair or scooter
• Wheelchair details when requested
• Stretcher or positioning requirement
• Steps, narrow doors or elevator concerns
• Caregiver or attendant request
• Return-pickup method
• Private-pay or preapproved travel arrangement

Share only the information needed to choose the correct vehicle and assistance level.

Planning the ride home

VA appointments, tests and procedures may run longer than expected. Ask the transportation provider which return arrangement applies:

• Fixed pickup: best for a predictable completion time
• Will call: the Veteran, caregiver or clinic calls when the passenger is almost ready
• Wait and return: arranged in advance, potentially with waiting charges
• Facility coordination: a VA staff member or authorized caregiver communicates release information

If sedation is involved, VA or the procedure department may require a responsible adult rather than releasing the patient to a driver alone. Confirm the clinic’s policy before the appointment.

For a medically stable inpatient discharge, the VA team should confirm that ordinary NEMT is appropriate and provide the pickup point, mobility information and destination requirements. Learn more about hospital discharge transportation.

Communities that may need rides to Wilkes-Barre VA

Private rides may be requested from West Pittston, Pittston, Exeter, Wyoming, Kingston, Wilkes-Barre, Plains Township, Avoca, Duryea, Scranton, Hazleton and other Pennsylvania communities, subject to availability.

For Veterans outside Luzerne County, confirm whether a VA, DAV or county transportation program serves the pickup area. Private NEMT may also be arranged for longer trips, but pricing, travel time, accessibility and return plans should be discussed in advance.

The Avoca medical transportation page provides an example of local veteran transportation coverage in the Pittston corridor.

When to call 911 instead of booking NEMT

Private NEMT, DAV vans and public transit are for non-emergency transportation. Call 911 when the Veteran has a possible emergency, including:

• Chest pain
• Severe difficulty breathing
• Signs of a stroke
• Loss of consciousness
• Uncontrolled bleeding
• Severe injury
• Sudden confusion or another acute, dangerous change

A driver should not be expected to provide paramedic care or determine whether a serious symptom is safe for ordinary transportation.