Part 2: Bridging the Gap: Connecting to Rural Care Resources
By Shannon S. Layton, DNP, RN, LICSW-S, NEA-BC, CNL, CWCN, CNE
Rural nurses play a critical role in ensuring that veterans living in remote areas have access to healthcare and benefits. Part 1 of this series discussed the importance of connecting veterans to resources and earned benefits to improve health outcomes, but locating local resources can be difficult and time consuming. Many veterans are unaware of the resources available to them through the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or their individual state department that oversees additional veteran benefits exclusive to its residents. Rural veterans often face additional challenges in accessing healthcare and benefits due to distance and time required for travel. Rural nurses can utilize resources from the Have you Ever Served in the Military? (2025) campaign available on the American Academy of Nursing website at https://aannet.org/page/HaveYouEverServed to screen rural veterans for service- connected conditions. Part 2 provides guidance on how rural nurses can help veterans locate and connect to these VA services, including local clinics, Vet Centers, pharmacy, travel reimbursement, mobile apps and telehealth options, and locate additional state-level support. These services aim to reduce barriers and improve health outcomes for veterans living in remote areas and are part of my personal care transitions management tools.
Finding Local VA Clinics
The primary tool for finding VA medical centers, outpatient clinics, and community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs) is the VA Find a Location search tool conveniently linked on the VA home page at www.va.gov. These facilities provide essential services such as primary care and prescriptions closer to home for rural veterans. Nurses can access the locator at: https://www.va.gov/find-locations/. Pro Tip: Any needed VA forms are accessible on an adjacent search tool (Find a VA Form) on the VA website. If the veteran needs further assistance enrolling in benefits or services, there is an additional search tool to locate accredited Veteran Service Officers to aid with enrollment.
Locating Vet Centers
Vet Centers, offer confidential counseling and readjustment services for combat veterans, military sexual trauma survivors, and their families. Nurses can find local Vet Centers using the directory at https://www.vetcenter.va.gov/, or by calling (877) 927-8387. The 83 Mobile Vet Centers also play a vital role in facilitating rural veteran access (VA, n.d.-a). VA Travel Pay Benefits and Reimbursement Process VA travel pay, officially called Beneficiary Travel, reimburses veterans and eligible caregivers for travel to VA-approved healthcare appointments. Covered expenses include mileage (currently reimbursed at $0.415 per mile), parking, tolls, public transportation, and lodging when medically necessary. Eligibility includes those traveling for service- connected conditions, veterans with a disability rating of 30% or higher, VA pension recipients, and veterans facing financial hardship (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2025a). Claims can be filed easily on the VA: Health and Benefits mobile app, online through the Beneficiary Travel Self-Service System, also called BTSSS, (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, n.d.-c), at https://dvagov-btsss.dynamics365portals.us/, and in person at a VA facility. Deductibles apply ($3 one-way, $6 round trip, capped at $18 per month), but waivers are available for those who cannot afford them (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2025c, August 6). Additional information is available athttps://www.va.gov/health-care/file-travel-pay-reimbursement/.
VA Services Offered Remotely
The VA has increased access for veterans via telehealth programs such as VA Video Connect, allowing veterans to attend secure video appointments from home. Frequently used resources include Remote Patient Monitoring, the VA.gov online MyVA tab and the My HelatheVet portal for managing prescriptions, appointments, and benefits. Additionally, the VA: Health and Benefits App, offers mobile phone convenience. The ATLAS program provides telehealth access points in non-VA facilities for veterans without reliable internet (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, (n.d.-b). More information is available at https://telehealth.va.gov/.
VA Pharmacy Benefits for Rural Veterans
The VA offers comprehensive pharmacy benefits to eligible veterans. Prescriptions can be filled through VA pharmacies or via the Community Care Network. Electronic prescriptions are accepted for convenience, and routine medications may be dispensed for up to a 90-day supply (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2025b). Veterans with service-connected disabilities rated at 50% or higher, low-income veterans, and certain special categories may qualify for free prescriptions. For those who do have copays, many medicines are free or $5 with a maximum copay for a 30-day supply of brand-name prescription medication capped at $11 (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2025a). Additionally, Clinical Pharmacy Practitioner (CPP) programs provide medication management and chronic disease support through telehealth, improving access for rural veterans (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2024). More details are available at https://www.va.gov/COMMUNITYCARE/providers/Pharmacy-Requirements.asp and https://www.pbm.va.gov/.
State Departments of Veterans Affairs
Each state operates its own agency, offering state-specific benefits and assistance. These agencies all have different names that are easily searchable using the name of the state and various naming conventions to include veteran affairs, veteran services, or veteran commission. Nurses can find a current directory of state offices at https://www.vetlifetoday.org/stateoffices while available. For example, the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs provides local offices in most counties: https://va.alabama.gov/serviceofficer/.
Online Therapy Programs for Veterans
The VA provides telehealth mental health services through VA Video Connect, enabling veterans to access therapy from home. Evidence-based treatments such as Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure (PE), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) are available remotely (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2025d). Vet Centers also offer confidential counseling without requiring VA healthcare enrollment (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2025e). Private VA-approved platforms like ValorWell (2025) (https://www.valorwell.org/), Growth Empowerment Partners (2025) (https://growthep.com/online-therapy/veterans/), and Solara Mental Health (2025) (https://solaramentalhealth.com/levels-of-care/virtual-iop/) provide additional options, including intensive outpatient programs (IOP) for veterans needing structured care. These services help overcome geographic and logisticalbarriers, ensuring continuity of care for rural veterans.
References
American Academy of Nursing. (2025). Have you ever served in the military https://aannet.org/page/HaveYouEverServed
Growth Empowerment Partners. (2025.). Online therapy for veterans.https://growthep.com/online-therapy/veterans/
Solara Mental Health. (2025). Virtual intensive outpatient program for veterans. https://solaramentalhealth.com/levels-of-care/virtual-iop/
Vet Life Today. (2025). State Veterans Affairs Offices.https://www.vetlifetoday.org/stateoffices
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2024). Pharmacy requirements–Information for providers. https://www.va.gov/COMMUNITYCARE/providers/Pharmacy-
Requirements.asp U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2025a, March 31) Health care benefits overview (2025 ed.; Vol. 1). https://www.va.gov/healthbenefits/resources/epublications.asp
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2025b, July 11). Pharmacy benefits management services. https://www.pbm.va.gov/
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2025c, August 6). File for travel pay reimbursement. https://www.va.gov/health-care/file-travel-pay-reimbursement/
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2025d, September 2). VA mental health services. https://www.va.gov/health-care/health-needs-conditions/mental-health/
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2025e, October 6). Vet centers. https://www.vetcenter.va.gov/
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (n.d.-a). Find VA locations. https://www.va.gov/find-locations/
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (n.d.-b). VA telehealth services. https://telehealth.va.gov/
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (n.d.-c). Welcome to BTSSS. https://dvagov-btsss.dynamics365portals.us/
ValorWell. (2024). Online therapy for veterans and family. https://www.valorwell.org/
