Tracking medical travel expenses throughout the year is the key to maximizing your Schedule A medical deduction. Here’s how to properly document medical mileage, lodging, and other travel costs in 2025 so you’re audit-ready at tax time.
What Medical Travel Expenses Are Deductible?
- Medical mileage — 21 cents per mile in 2025 (same as 2024) for driving to medical appointments, pharmacies, and therapy
- Parking and tolls — Full cost, on top of the mileage rate
- Rideshares (Uber/Lyft) — Full fare for rides to medical appointments
- Bus, train, subway — Public transit to and from medical care
- Lodging — Up to $50/night per person when overnight stay is required for medical care
- Airfare — For medically necessary travel to out-of-area specialists
How to Track Medical Mileage
The IRS requires a contemporaneous log — meaning you record trips as you go, not from memory at year end. Your log must include the date, starting point, destination, and purpose of each medical trip.
The easiest approach is a mileage tracking app (MileIQ or Stride) that automatically logs your drives. You classify each trip as “medical” and add a brief note. At year-end, export the report for your tax records.
What Records to Keep
- Mileage log with date, start, destination, purpose, and miles for every medical trip
- Parking and toll receipts
- Rideshare receipts (downloaded from app)
- Lodging receipts (only up to $50/night qualifies)
- Airfare confirmation and medical appointment records for out-of-area travel
How Medical Travel Fits Into Schedule A
Medical travel expenses are added to all other qualifying medical expenses (prescriptions, doctor fees, dental, vision, insurance premiums paid after-tax). The total must exceed 7.5% of your AGI before any amount is deductible. Every dollar of tracked medical travel adds to your total and helps clear or extend that threshold.
This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute tax advice. Always consult a licensed tax professional for advice specific to your situation.