Healthcare Travel Benefit

What is the travel benefit?

You now have a travel benefit to complement your health plan. The travel benefit helps defray the cost of traveling to receive a necessary medical service when the service is not offered or provided within 100 miles of your home. It applies to both physical and mental health services and is not available for office visits (including convenience clinics and similar services) or when a telehealth option is available to you.

What does the travel benefit cover?

The benefit helps pay for transportation and lodging required when traveling to receive a necessary medical service. Lodging assistance is not eligible when staying with friends or family. Eligible transportation costs include travel between home, provider, and lodging.

Benefits include:

Up to $50 per day for the patient’s lodging
Up to $50 per day for a companion or caregiver’s lodging
The lesser of the IRS medical mileage allowance, a bus, train, or an airline ticket
Parking fees and tolls

How do I use the travel benefit?

If you live in Minnesota or a neighboring state, you must use an in-network provider. If you are on a Point of Service agreement or are assigned to a national network, you must use a provider in your claims administrator’s network.

Each claims administrator (BlueCross BlueShield of Minnesota, HealthPartners, or PreferredOne) has its own process for reimbursement that you must follow. We recommend you contact your claims administrator before traveling to ensure the service is eligible and the provider is in-network.

After your travel, you may request reimbursement through your claims administrator.

Receipts are required for lodging, transportation, parking fees, and tolls.
Receipts are not required for personal car mileage, but you may be asked to submit documentation proving the mileage from a satellite navigation application.
Claims must be submitted within 12 months of the service.

Please visit the SEGIP website for more information on the travel benefit.