Australian Government, Department of Veterans' Affairs
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IMPROVEMENTS TO VETERANS’ TRANSPORT ARRANGEMENTS

Booked Car with Driver Service (BCWD)

Under the Repatriation Transport Scheme (RTS), the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) provides a broad range of options for DVA Gold and White cardholders when they travel to attend approved treatment, including a Booked Car With Driver (BCWD) service where taxis and hire cars are booked through the Department.

In July 2006, DVA removed the medical need criteria for BCWD for eligible persons 80 years and over.

Following on from this change, the next stage of the reforms commencing on 1 February 2007 provides eligible persons who are 80 years and over and eligible persons who are legally blind or suffering from dementia with the ability to use BCWD to travel to all DVA approved medical treatment (subject to availability, please refer below).  This includes the following important destinations:

  • Local Medical Officers and other general practitioners;
  • dental providers;
  • allied health providers;
  • optical dispensers; and
  • Vietnam Veterans’ Counselling Services.

The following will continue to be approved treatment locations for BCWD services for those veterans and war widows who are under 80 years of age, not legally blind or not suffering from dementia:

  • former Repatriation General Hospitals;
  • public and approved private hospitals;
  • providers of prosthetics, surgical footwear and orthotics;
  • Office of Hearing Services accredited providers;
  • medical specialist rooms; and
  • radiology, imaging and pathology services.

To access the BCWD service an eligible person’s health provider must make a booking on their behalf.  For eligible persons under 80 years of age, their health provider must also certify that they meet certain medical criteria.

BCWD is available in metropolitan areas of all capital cities, except Darwin and in some geographic locations.  For further information on availability, please call your local Veteran Transport Services Section on 1300 550 455 (metropolitan areas) or free call 1800 550 455 (country areas).

Health providers may contact the Department on the above mentioned telephone numbers to make bookings.  Please note that DVA generally requires bookings to made no later than the day before the appointment in order to provide reasonable notice to the DVA contracted transport provider.

To check the related DVA factsheet document (HSV125) please go to http://www.dva.gov.au/factsheets/default.htm