Rural Veterans Transportation Program

The New Mexico Department of Veterans Services (NMDVS) has launched the Rural Veterans Transportation Program to service medical transportation needs for veterans in following counties: Catron, Cibola, Colfax, De Baca, Guadalupe, Harding, Hidalgo, Lincoln, Mora, Quay, San Miguel, Sierra, Socorro, Torrance and Union counties.

The program provides free round trip service for veterans to and from their home and any VA or VA-approved medical appointment. This also includes confirmed appointments for COVID-19 vaccines. Neither the New Mexico Department of Health nor the New Mexico VA Health Care System (NMVAHCS) are administering COVID-19 vaccines to anyone who did not pre-register and has a confirmed appointment.

Round-trip rides will also be provided to veterans for any VA preauthorized appointments at non-VA health care facilities.

Veterans must make a reservation for these free round trip rides at least three days in advance of a medical appointment by calling DVS at (505) 429-5906 Monday through Friday from 9am-5pm.

Upon pickup, veterans will be required to show proof of veteran status to the driver—who, per COVID-19 safety protocol, will be wearing a mask. Veterans will also be required to wear a face mask for the duration of the trip.

The program is made possible through a grant awarded to DVS by the U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs’ (VA) Highly Rural Transportation Grants Program. This grant is awarded to qualified organizations
that can demonstrate the need and ability to provide transportation for veterans in “highly rural areas”
who have trouble getting VA health care due to the lack of available transportation options.

VA defines a highly rural area as a county with less than seven people per square mile, and provided DVS
with a list of qualifying counties in New Mexico. DVS will re-apply for the VA annual grant to expand the
Rural Veterans Transportation Program beyond the current nine-county service area.