medical lodging and mileage

[brcrump]

Understand husband and I travel for his medical doctor's appointments so we can deduct 2 x $100 for each day at hotel, correct?  Also add mileage for those trips, or is it one or the other?

--Also, 2 of the travel trips were for diagnostics which are not available in our town -- like PET Scan.  Ordered by his Dr.  Those separate trips can also be expensed for hotel and mileage?

[JulieS]

No, the limit is $50 for each night for each person. You can include lodging for a person traveling with the person receiving the medical care. 

You can include the cost of  lodging while away from home if all of the following requirements are met:

• The lodging is primarily for and essential to medical care.
• The medical care is provided by a doctor in a licensed hospital or in a medical care facility related to, or the equivalent of, a licensed hospital.
• The lodging isn't lavish or extravagant under the circumstances.
• There is no significant element of personal pleasure, recreation, or vacation in the travel away from home.

You can also deduct medical mileage at the rate of 22 cents per mile for both travel away from home for medical purposes, and for local travel for medical purposes. 

Diagnostic testing is a legitimate medical purpose if it's ordered by a doctor in a licensed hospital or in a medical care facility. See Publication 502 for more details.