VA Healthcare and Transportation From Gallatin

Gallatin veterans can begin with the Gallatin VA Clinic at 419 Steam Plant Road for primary care, tele-mental health, laboratory, social work and related outpatient services. For Nashville VA appointments, transportation options may include DAV vans, the VA Veterans Transportation Program and beneficiary travel reimbursement. Schedule rides before the appointment, confirm the specific clinic or hospital, and ask VA or Sumner County Veterans Services which option fits your eligibility and mobility needs. The Gallatin VA Clinic’s posted hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., but individual services may keep different schedules.

Veterans in Gallatin do not always need to travel to Nashville for VA care. The Gallatin VA Clinic provides outpatient primary care, tele-mental health, whole-health coaching, laboratory services and social work at 419 Steam Plant Road, Gallatin, TN 37066-3027. The clinic’s posted facility hours are Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; individual services may have different appointment schedules.

When an appointment requires a trip to the Nashville VA Medical Center or another Middle Tennessee facility, start arranging transportation as soon as the appointment is scheduled. Depending on eligibility, mobility and the destination, options may include a free DAV van, the VA Veterans Transportation Program, or reimbursement through VA beneficiary travel.

> Last verified: August 15, 2026. Check the official VA facility page and transportation program before every trip because hours, routes, appointment locations and operating status can change.

Quick answer for Gallatin veterans and caregivers

• Local VA care: Gallatin VA Clinic, 419 Steam Plant Road, Gallatin.
• Services listed by VA: Primary care, tele-mental health, whole-health coaching, laboratory services and social work.
• Nashville specialty care: Nashville VA Medical Center, 1310 24th Avenue South, Nashville.
• Free ride possibility: DAV vans serve scheduled VA medical appointments for veterans who do not have other transportation options. Ride availability and schedules vary.
• VA travel pay: Eligible veterans and some caregivers may receive mileage or approved transportation reimbursement. Free rides generally cannot also be claimed for reimbursement.
• Local assistance: Sumner County Veterans Services can help Sumner County veterans and families navigate VA paperwork at no cost and offers in-home appointments for housebound veterans.

VA healthcare options near Gallatin

Gallatin VA Clinic

The Gallatin VA Clinic is the most convenient starting point for many veterans living in Gallatin and nearby parts of Sumner County. VA lists the clinic as an outpatient location with primary care, tele-mental health, whole-health coaching, laboratory services and social work. Social-work services may also help connect veterans and families with community resources, including transportation.

The clinic is not a substitute for every service offered at a VA medical center. Ask where a specialty, imaging service, procedure or urgent-care need will be handled before assuming the appointment is in Gallatin. Your care team or appointment notice should identify the facility and address.

Gallatin VA Clinic

• Address: 419 Steam Plant Road, Gallatin, TN 37066-3027
• Posted facility hours: Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Listed care: Primary care, tele-mental health, whole-health coaching, laboratory services and social work
• Accessibility: VA lists wheelchairs as available upon arrival for patients who need them to access the building

Because the VA page notes that service hours may vary, call or message the clinic before arriving for laboratory work, specialty services, walk-in questions or a caregiver-related request.

Nashville VA Medical Center

The Nashville VA Medical Center is at 1310 24th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37212-2637. VA describes it as a main hospital providing primary and specialty services, including mental health care, women’s health, prosthetics, eye care, nutrition counseling, hospice and palliative care, and other hospital-based services.

A Nashville appointment may be necessary when the Gallatin clinic cannot provide the service or when your VA provider refers you elsewhere. Check the appointment letter, VA.gov appointment list or secure message carefully. “Nashville VA” can refer to more than one outpatient location in the broader Tennessee Valley system, so confirm the exact street address before planning a ride.

The Tennessee Valley Healthcare System also operates other locations in Middle Tennessee, including the Alvin C. York VA Medical Center in Murfreesboro and outpatient clinics in communities such as Nashville, Murfreesboro, Cookeville, Columbia, Clarksville and Dover. The appropriate location depends on the service and your referral.

Who may qualify for VA healthcare?

VA eligibility depends on service history, discharge status and other factors. VA says a veteran may be eligible if they served in the active military, naval or air service and did not receive a dishonorable discharge. Additional minimum-service rules may apply to people who enlisted after September 7, 1980, or entered active duty after October 16, 1981, although VA lists exceptions.

VA also says expanded eligibility applies to many veterans exposed to toxins or other hazards during service, including veterans who served during the Vietnam War, Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan or another post-9/11 combat zone. Eligibility is determined by VA, not by the location of the local clinic.

After an application is processed, VA assigns one of eight priority groups. The group can affect enrollment priority and how much a veteran pays for some care, tests or medications.

How to apply

You can apply online through VA.gov, by phone at 877-222-8387, or by submitting VA Form 10-10EZ. VA recommends gathering military discharge documents such as a DD214, service-history information, insurance information and household income and expense information when applicable.

Sumner County Veterans Services can also help Sumner County veterans and their families with VA benefits paperwork at no cost. The office says it offers in-home appointments for housebound veterans by arrangement.

Transportation options from Gallatin

1. DAV vans

The Disabled American Veterans transportation network provides free van rides to and from Nashville VA Medical Center healthcare facilities for veterans who do not have other transportation options. VA says DAV works with county Veterans Affairs directors to serve scheduled medical appointments.

For Tennessee Valley appointments, VA lists Monica D. Davison, Nashville VA Medical Center, Room G114, 1310 24th Avenue South, Nashville, as the hospital service coordinator, with a listed telephone number of 615-873-7090. Contact the coordinator before relying on a ride; individual van schedules vary.

Important limitations:

• DAV vans are for scheduled healthcare appointments.
• Availability depends on the route and local volunteer schedule.
• VA says DAV vans can serve ambulatory passengers—people able to move around without the driver’s help.
• A veteran who uses a free DAV ride cannot also claim VA travel reimbursement for that same trip because there is no transportation expense to reimburse.

Ask about accessibility before booking. If you need a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, hands-on assistance, oxygen support or another accommodation, explain that when you request transportation rather than assuming a standard DAV van can meet the need.

2. VA Veterans Transportation Program and VetRide

VA’s Veterans Transportation Program can help enrolled veterans request free rides to and from VA health appointments. VA directs veterans to contact a local VTP representative or use its online ride-request service, called VetRide. The official representative page allows users to locate the applicable VA healthcare system and transportation contact.

Use this option when:

1. You are enrolled in VA healthcare.
2. You have a VA appointment or another VA-authorized healthcare appointment.
3. You need a ride and do not have a workable transportation option.
4. You can provide enough notice for the transportation office to review the request.

Ask whether the ride is curb-to-curb or another service level, whether a caregiver may accompany you, whether the vehicle is wheelchair accessible and what happens if the appointment is rescheduled. Do not wait until the day before a major appointment to begin the process.

3. Beneficiary travel reimbursement

VA beneficiary travel is different from a free ride. It may reimburse eligible veterans for approved travel to a VA health facility or VA-approved community care. VA lists eligibility pathways that can include a service-connected disability rating of 30% or more, treatment for a service-connected condition, receipt of a VA pension, income below the applicable VA pension rate, inability to afford travel under VA guidelines, or certain scheduled VA examinations, service-dog appointments or transplant-care trips.

VA currently lists a reimbursement rate of 41.5 cents per mile for approved health-related travel. It also lists a deductible of $3 one-way or $6 round-trip per appointment, up to $18 per month, although some deductibles may be waived. Because rates and rules can change, verify the current amount before relying on an estimate.

Potentially reimbursable expenses may include:

• Mileage
• Parking and tolls
• Preapproved public transportation, taxi or rideshare costs
• Preapproved meals and lodging
• VA-initiated or preapproved special-mode transportation

Mileage and parking or tolls generally follow different approval rules than taxis, rideshares, meals and lodging. VA says meals and lodging require prior approval, while a claim for a regular transportation expense may also require preapproval.

How to file a travel-pay claim

For a routine eligible trip, VA recommends filing online through its travel-reimbursement system. VA says first-time claimants should set up direct deposit specifically for VA travel pay, keep receipts for reimbursable expenses and track mileage. Claims should generally be filed within 30 days of the appointment; late claims may be denied.

If online filing is not practical, VA says you may file by mail or in person using VA Form 10-3542, Veteran/Beneficiary Claim for Reimbursement of Travel Expenses.

Do not submit a travel-pay claim for a trip provided free by DAV, VTP or another no-cost transportation service. VA says there is no expense to reimburse in that situation.

4. Special-mode transportation

A veteran may need an ambulance, wheelchair van or another specially equipped vehicle when a medical condition makes ordinary transportation unsafe. VA says special-mode transportation generally requires eligibility for travel pay, a VA provider’s determination that the vehicle is medically necessary and advance approval, except in emergencies. Contact your VA healthcare team as soon as you know regular transportation will not be safe.

How to plan a VA appointment trip from Gallatin

Use this checklist for every appointment:

1. Confirm the destination. Write down the facility name, street address, building, suite and department.
2. Ask whether the appointment is in person or virtual. Gallatin VA lists telehealth among its services, and some appointments may be available remotely.
3. Choose the transportation type. Ask about DAV, VTP/VetRide, family transportation, public transportation or personal-vehicle travel pay.
4. Book early. Free transportation schedules vary, and special-mode transportation may require advance approval.
5. Explain mobility needs. State whether you use a wheelchair, walker, oxygen, service animal or caregiver assistance.
6. Save appointment information. Keep the appointment notice and any referral or authorization details.
7. Keep receipts and mileage records. This matters if you are pursuing eligible travel reimbursement.
8. Plan for changes. Ask whom to contact if the appointment is canceled, delayed or moved to another VA location.
9. Recheck operating status. Weather closures and other changes can affect clinics and transportation.
10. File promptly. If eligible, submit travel claims as soon as possible and generally within 30 days.

Caregiver and mobility checklist

Caregivers should ask these questions before the trip:

• Can I ride with the veteran?
• Is the vehicle wheelchair accessible?
• Does the veteran need hands-on assistance entering or leaving the vehicle?
• Is the appointment at the Gallatin clinic, Nashville VA Medical Center or another location?
• Is the ride free, or will the veteran pay and seek reimbursement?
• Does the veteran qualify as a medically required attendant or under a VA caregiver program?
• Who should be called if the veteran becomes ill or the appointment changes?

VA says some caregivers and other non-veterans may qualify for transportation-related reimbursement when traveling as a family caregiver, medically required attendant, transplant donor or support person, subject to the program’s requirements.

For older adults who need broader transportation assistance beyond VA trips, the Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability directs residents to statewide transportation resources and lists a transportation-assistance contact at 1-866-836-6678. This is a general aging-resource starting point, not a guarantee of a ride to a particular VA appointment.

Local contacts and official next steps

Sumner County Veterans Services

The Sumner County Veterans Services office is at 355 N. Belvedere Drive, Room 114, Gallatin, TN 37066. The county lists the office phone as 615-451-6014 and office hours as Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Friday, 8 a.m. to noon. The office asks residents to call for an appointment.

The office can help with VA benefits paperwork and says it offers in-home appointments for housebound Sumner County veterans. It may be a useful first stop when eligibility, enrollment, caregiver benefits or documentation questions are holding up healthcare access.

Official VA destinations

• Gallatin VA Clinic: VA Tennessee Valley Health Care facility page
• Nashville VA Medical Center: VA Tennessee Valley Health Care facility page
• VA health eligibility and application: VA.gov health-care eligibility and application pages
• Transportation: VA Veterans Transportation Program representatives, DAV vans and beneficiary travel pages

The safest next step is to confirm the appointment destination first, then ask the responsible VA transportation office or Sumner County Veterans Services which ride or reimbursement program fits the trip. Do not assume that a free ride, mileage reimbursement and special-mode transportation can be combined for the same appointment.

Bottom line

For routine local care, start with the Gallatin VA Clinic. For Nashville or other Middle Tennessee appointments, arrange transportation early through DAV, VTP/VetRide or an eligible personal-vehicle reimbursement pathway. Caregivers and veterans with mobility needs should explain those needs when scheduling—not when the vehicle arrives. When eligibility or paperwork is unclear, Sumner County Veterans Services can help connect Gallatin-area veterans and families with the appropriate VA process.