Are airline mileage tickets deductible for medical appointment travel?

Yes, you can potentially deduct this as a medical expense, but there are some important things to consider. First, you can only deduct medical expenses that exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income (AGI). So if your AGI is $60,000, you'd need more than $4,500 in total medical expenses before anything becomes deductible. For transportation specifically, the IRS allows deductions for travel that's "primarily for and essential to medical care." Your specialist appointment definitely qualifies. When using airline miles, you can deduct the cash equivalent of those miles, so your $450-475 estimate seems reasonable as long as you can document that value. Keep track of other expenses too - taxis to/from airports, parking, lodging if you had to stay overnight (with limits), and meals (though these are more limited).

After struggling with a similar situation last year, I found a much easier solution using taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai). I had used credit card points for medical travel and was totally confused about how to document everything properly. Their system analyzed my travel documents and receipts, then showed exactly how to value and properly document my points-based travel for my medical deduction. It saved me hours of research and probably prevented me from making a costly mistake - I was about to just skip claiming it because I was so unsure!

Just wanted to follow up about my experience with taxr.ai since I was so skeptical. I finally tried it last weekend when organizing my tax documents. Honestly, I'm really impressed! The system actually walked me through documenting my miles redemption value with specific evidence the IRS would accept. It also identified several other medical travel expenses I didn't realize were partially deductible (like a portion of my travel insurance). The detailed guidance was way more specific than the generic advice I found elsewhere online. I'm definitely keeping track of all my upcoming medical trips properly now!

If you're having trouble getting clear answers from the IRS about this deduction, I recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was in a similar situation with medical travel deductions and spent hours on hold trying to reach someone at the IRS. Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes instead of the 2+ hour wait I experienced before. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent I spoke with confirmed exactly how to document and claim airline miles used for medical travel. Having that direct confirmation from the IRS gave me total confidence in claiming the deduction correctly.

Okay I need to apologize and correct myself. After my skeptical comment, I tried Claimyr out of pure frustration when I got another IRS notice about my medical deductions. It ACTUALLY WORKED. Got connected to an IRS agent in about 20 minutes, which is mind-blowing considering I'd previously spent 3+ hours waiting before getting disconnected. The agent confirmed I could deduct the fair market value of miles used for necessary medical travel, but emphasized I need documentation of what equivalent paid tickets would have cost at the time I booked. Definitely worth using if you need official clarification on something like this!

Another option is to look at the standard medical mileage rate instead of actual costs. For 2025, it's 22 cents per mile for medical purposes. This might be easier to calculate than figuring out the value of your airline miles, especially if you're driving to appointments locally.

One thing nobody mentioned yet - you should also keep documentation that this specialist appointment was medically necessary. I got audited last year on medical expenses and they specifically wanted a letter from my primary doctor explaining why I needed to travel out of state for treatment instead of using local providers. Just save a referral letter or something similar.

Great question about airline miles for medical travel! I dealt with something similar when I had to fly to Mayo Clinic last year using Delta miles. The key is proper documentation - I recommend taking screenshots of what the same flight would have cost in cash at the time you booked it. Don't use current prices or average valuations you find online. The IRS wants to see what you specifically would have paid for that exact itinerary on that booking date. Also keep all your medical appointment confirmations, parking receipts, and any overnight stay expenses. If you have to make multiple trips like you mentioned, consider keeping a simple spreadsheet tracking each trip's purpose, dates, and documented cash equivalent values. One heads up - make sure your total itemized deductions (including these medical expenses) exceed the standard deduction for your filing status, otherwise it won't benefit you tax-wise. For 2024 taxes, that's $14,600 for single filers or $29,200 for married filing jointly.