Travel and Mileage

To comply with travel policies outlined in 902 KAR 8:170 Section 5: Travel Policies and in specific directives from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

Private Vehicle Reimbursement per mile at IRS Rate 72.5 CENTS

Private Vehicle Reimbursement per mile at IRS Rate for 1/1/2025 - 12/31/2025    70 CENTS

Private Vehicle Reimbursement per mile at IRS Rate for 7/1/2024 - 12/31/2024 67 CENTS

Private Vehicle Reimbursement per mile:

July 1, 2023 - December 31, 2024 46 CENTS

January 1, 2024 - March 31, 2024 43 CENTS

April 1, 2024 - June 30, 2024 45 CENTS

Regular Rates

Breakfast (authorized travel must include

6:30am through 9:00am)………………….…….…   $16.00

Lunch (authorized travel must include

11:00am through 2:00pm)……………….………..       $19.00

Dinner (authorized travel must include

5:00pm through 9:00pm)……………………..……       $28.00

Lexington and Louisville

Breakfast-HIGH RATE (authorized travel must include

6:30am through 9:00am)……………….............. $20.00

Lunch-HIGH RATE (authorized travel must include

11:00am through 2:00pm)………………………...       $22.00

Dinner-HIGH RATE (authorized travel must include

5:00pm through 9:00pm)………………………….       $33.00

NOTE: Please check with Accounting for rates outside of Kentucky

Regular Rates

Breakfast (authorized travel must include

6:30am through 9:00am)………………….…….…   $12.00

Lunch (authorized travel must include

11:00am through 2:00pm)……………….………..       $15.00

Dinner (authorized travel must include

5:00pm through 9:00pm)……………………..……       $23.00

High Rates**

Breakfast-HIGH RATE (authorized travel must include

6:30am through 9:00am)……………….............. $14.00

Lunch-HIGH RATE (authorized travel must include

11:00am through 2:00pm)………………………...       $18.00

Dinner-HIGH RATE (authorized travel must include

5:00pm through 9:00pm)………………………….       $28.00

** Please verify travel is in a designated high rate area before using high rate amounts on travel forms.

MEALS

• An employee shall be in overnight travel status during the entire mealtime.  For example, to be eligible for breakfast reimbursement, an employee shall leave at or before 6:30 a.m. and return at or after 9 a.m. This requirement shall apply to all meals.  

• An employee shall not claim meal expenses for meals included in the registration fee. A notation shall be made on the travel voucher that the registration fee included the cost of meals.

GENERAL

• Staff are NOT permitted to transport clients of any program.

• Prior to making arrangements to travel out of the District, especially to Frankfort, determine if meeting could be accomplished remotely instead of traveling.

• Staff are strongly discouraged from traveling for non-emergency situations due to missing courier schedules, Accounts Payable deadlines etc. (i.e. driving travel forms to accounts payable because they were approved late/the courier was missed).

• Out-of-state events may be limited to two staff per event.  There is an expectation that staff will bring back and disseminate relevant information to those who need to know.

• When out-of-district/state travel is necessary, carpooling is strongly encouraged.

• Travel for trainings/certifications should be authorized in advance and have a direct effect/be required of the agency.

The Administrative Reference Manual does not allow NKY Health to pay for travel from an employee’s residence to their workstation.  

If point of origin is the employee's residence, mileage shall be paid between the residence and travel destination, or between the workstation and travel destination, whichever is shorter.  Examples are shown below.  

Employees should not make unnecessary trips back to their workstation to increase the mileage reimbursement.

Example:

Residence: Florence

Work Station: Campbell County Health Center

Scenario #1

Travel: Florence to District Office to Florence

Reimbursement: The lesser of Residence to District Office or CCHC to District Office

Scenario #2

Travel: Florence to District Office to Campbell

Reimbursement: Difference in actual miles minus Florence to Campbell miles 

Scenario #3

Travel: Florence to Alexandria to Florence

Reimbursement: The lesser of Residence to Alexandria or CCHC to Alexandria

Scenario #4

Travel: Florence to Frankfort to Campbell

Reimbursement: Actual miles minus Florence to Campbell miles

Scenario #5

Travel: Campbell County Health Center to Post Office to Florence

Reimbursement: The lesser of Residence to Post Office or CCHC to Post Office

• Staff are required to turn in travel at one-hundred dollars ($100.00) or once a month, whichever comes first.  This aids in budget analysis.

• Turn in travel forms to Accounts Payable via email @ ap@NKYHealth.org

• If you have questions on how to complete travel forms, please contact your supervisor.  Travel Vouchers containing errors will be returned to the employee’s supervisor for revision, with an explanation of any errors.

• If you need copies for tax purposes, please copy before you turn in your form.

• Mileage Documentation for non-local travel: A screenshot or printout of a map application showing the estimated mileage to and from your destination is encouraged for mileage reimbursement.

Prior to traveling outside the vicinity, please complete the Overnight or Out-of-State Travel Authorization Form. This form serves as the authorization obtained in advance for all expenses incurred while in travel status, including registration fees, airfare, lodging, per diem meals, etc. No PO is needed for items authorized on the form.

Guidelines:

• Enter Employee Information, including the name of employee or group with attached listing if requesting authorization for more than one employee, the job title, division and program, and the location.

• Select the Travel Purpose, checking all the reasons for attending, the title of the conference or training, and the benefit to the agency. Attach an itinerary to the request, including lodging and conference information such as the registration pricing with due dates and a conference agenda that indicates which meals are included with the paid registration fee.

• Enter Travel Details, including the mode of transportation, date and time of departure and return, lodging, and flight details if applicable.

• For the Cost Estimate, enter amounts being requested for mileage, registration fees, lodging, meals, airfare and other related costs as applicable. For out-of-state travel, please select whether the area is designated as a high rate area for the per diem meal rates to be used.

• For Accounting purposes, enter the program, function code, and project code that will be charged for the travel. The total amount will automatically calculate for each spending code based on the items entered in the Cost Estimate. Check to indicate if any of the expenses will be reimbursed by a third party, and attach details to the request so that Accounting can bill and track reimbursement within the required timeframe.

• Routing for Signature Approval. Overnight or out-of-state travel requires approval by the employee's immediate supervisor, the division director, and by the accounting manager when certifying funds are available. The original will be returned to the employee to include with the travel voucher that will be submitted within 3 business days of return, and a copy is provided to Purchasing for recording in the electronic Employee Travel file.

• Once travel has been authorized, the employee may proceed with working with Purchasing for arrangements for credit card use with lodging, submission of registration fee, and booking flights.

The following are the instructions for the travel expense voucher.  

1. Header Section - Complete

   • Division Name 

   • Official Work Station

   • Employee Name

   • Home Address

   • Employee ID

   • Month

   • Year

   • Total Miles (Calculated Field)

2. Distribution Recap - Complete this section by totaling all travel to be charged to the same Program (reporting area), Function Code and Project Code.

3. Travel Section - Complete

• Month

• Day

• Time of Departure (Only if Claiming Meals or Lodging)

• Time of Return (Only if Claiming Meals or Lodging)

• From (Official Work Station/Home/Other Location)

• To (Temporary Duty Station/Official Work Station/Home)

• Private Auto (Miles/Amount/Tolls or Parking)

• Lodging

• Subsistence (Broken Down by Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

• Purpose - Brief description for reason of travel and must be completed for ALL travel 

• Program (reporting area)

• Function Code

• Project Code

• Total - Line Total (Calculated Field)

• Page Total (Calculated Field)

• Totals from back page and additional pages (use back page to claim other expenses)

• Signature of Employee

• Signature of approval by immediate supervisor

• Signature of approval by Division Director

• Signature of approval by Accounting Manager

• Date Approved

Employees who travel to many locations within the District or region should use the Travel Voucher.

The following are the instructions for the travel expense voucher.  

1. Header Section - Complete

   • Division Name 

   • Official Work Station

   • Employee Name

   • Home Address

   • Employee ID

   • Month

   • Year

   • Total Miles (Calculated Field)

2. Distribution Recap - Complete this section by totaling all travel to be charged to the same Program (reporting area), Function Code and Project Code.

3. Travel Section - Complete

• Month

• Day

• Time of Departure (Only if Claiming Meals or Lodging)

• Time of Return (Only if Claiming Meals or Lodging)

• From (Official Work Station/Home/Other Location)

• To (Temporary Duty Station/Official Work Station/Home)

• Private Auto (Miles/Amount/Tolls or Parking)

• Lodging

• Subsistence (Broken Down by Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

• Purpose - Brief description for reason of travel and must be completed for ALL travel 

• Program (reporting area)

• Function Code

• Project Code

• Total - Line Total (Calculated Field)

• Page Total (Calculated Field)

• Totals from back page and additional pages (use back page to claim other expenses)

• Signature of Employee

• Signature of approval by immediate supervisor

• Signature of approval of Division Director

• Date Approved

• Make sure Total Paid and the Grand Total are equal.

• Attach receipts for travel expenses over ten (10) dollars except for subsistence expense items.

All travel must be included on the form. 

For travel within the District, travel may be entered on the Travel Local Vicinity form and attached to the Travel Voucher form. 

Travel Local Vicinity form instructions:

• Enter location details in From and To by date for up to 5 Programs. Print, sign, and date to attach to the Travel Voucher form.

• The program distribution, miles, and amount being reimbursed will automatically transfer to the Distribution Recap and the first 5 sections in the Travel Voucher Page 1 tab. 

• Additional travel may be entered on the remainder of page 1 the Travel Voucher form along with use of 2 additional pages for entry. Additional travel will be added to the Distribution Recap .

• Purpose for ALL travel, including the local vicinity travel, must be entered on the Travel Voucher form.

10/1/2022

• Updated Master Training and Travel Request Form, Master Travel Form and Master Travel Attachment Local Vicinity Form

• Updated mileage rate to 46 CENTS per mile.

1/4/2023

• Updated Master Travel Form and Master Travel Attachment Local Vicinity Form

• Updated mileage rate to 44 CENTS per mile.

4/18/2023

• Updated Master Travel Form and Master Travel Attachment Local Vicinity Form

• Updated mileage rate to 45 CENTS per mile effective 4/1/2023.

7/6/2023

• Updated Master Travel Form and Master Travel Attachment Local Vicinity Form

• Updated mileage rate to 46 CENTS per mile effective 7/1/2023.

11/20/2023

• Changed authorized by from "Director of Administration and Accounting" to "District Director of Health."

• Changed contact from "Director of Administration and Accounting" to "Buildings and Accounting Administrator."

7/5/2024

• Updated forms and instructions for the Overnight and Out-of-State Travel Authorization Forms, Travel Voucher Form, and Travel Attachment Local Vicinity Form.

• Updated mileage rate to the federal rate of 67 cents per mile effective 7/1/2024.

• Changed contact to "Accounting Supervisor."

7/15/2024

• Updated meal reimbursement rates for overnight and out-of-state travel for areas designated as high rate areas and regular rates for all other areas.

1/1/2025

• Updated mileage to the Federal rate of 70 cents per mile effective 1/1/2025.

• Changed Accounting Supervisor to Accounting Manager.

• Removed approval of Division Director from Travel Authorization Form.

• Changed Travel Voucher authorization to Supervisor and Division Director.

5/14/2025

• Added mileage documentation requirements under Important Notes.

1/20/2025

• Changed "required" to "encouraged" for mileage documentation.

• Updated meal reimbursement rates and mileage reimbursement rates.