Hi there, I'm trying to figure out if I can deduct my medical travel or not. I live in a rural, remote county with a severe healthcare shortage, long wait times, and low quality healthcare even when you can get an appointment. I have chronic health conditions so last year I was traveling frequently to another part of the state for medical treatment. I know that the costs of this treatment are essential enough to be deductible, but my concern is whether the travel is deductible, since technically I might have been able to get treatment for my conditions where I live -- it just would have taken months of delays, lower quality care, and also my continuity of care would have been disrupted since I've been seeing this team of specialists in another part of the state for several years now. Also the specialist I travel to see specializes in my condition specifically within her field, but I could have seen other specialists in the general field who can treat my condition, just with less expertise.
The IRS guidelines say that medical travel is NOT deductible if it's for "Travel for purely personal reasons to another city for an operation or other medical care." What on earth does that mean? Is more timely care, better quality of care, better availability of specialists for my condition, and continuity of care considered "purely personal reasons" to travel for medical care? Or would that be considered "essential" enough to be deductible? Thank you for any guidance.
