Travel Planning and Policies: UW and UW Health

If you are not sure of the funding for your trip, please contact your Division Administrator to confirm BEFORE booking. Travel booked through the incorrect portal will not be reimbursed. Travel Expense Flowchart (PDF).

Travel booking and expense reimbursement requirements differ depending on your funding source – please select your funding source to view the relevant guidelines:

Guidelines for Both Funding Sources

• If you are using Professional Funds, follow UW Health guidelines. If you are using grant funding, follow UW–Madison guidelines.
• UW purchasing cards (p-cards) may NOT be used to pay for UW Health reservations. UW Health credit cards may NOT be used to pay for UW–Madison reservations.
• All flights and vehicle rentals must be booked through the official travel partner in order to be reimbursed. Click the button above that correlates to your funding source to access the official travel partner portal and view the relevant policy and booking instructions.
• All hotels must be booked either through the official travel partner or directly with the conference hotel.
• Meals: UW Health reimburses a set per diem rate and no receipts are required for overnight meals for travel after March 1, 2024. UW–Madison reimburses a set per diem rate and no receipts are required.
• Tips will only be reimbursed up to 20%.
• All reimbursement requests must be submitted within 90 days of the last day of travel.

Note: a new UW Health policy (1.14 Travel & Other Expense Reimbursement) is effective as of March 1, 2024. If you missed the domestic and international travel per diem demonstrations the recorded versions can be found at All Employees (sharepoint.com).

Travel reimbursement categories listed below. Please review the categories relevant to your trip to familiarize yourself with the booking and receipt/documentation requirements for each expense type.

UW Health's contracted travel partner is CorpTrav. Online bookings can be made through the GetThere portal, accessible through the Oracle Cloud login.

Please be aware, travel that is not booked using CorpTrav will not be reimbursed by UW Health. 

Other Resources:

• Full UW Health Travel Policy
• UW Health Travel and Expense FAQ
• UW Health Managing Expenses job aid (PDF)

CorpTrav online booking is accessible through UConnect > Quick Links > Oracle Cloud > Me > Expenses tile > Actions menu > Book Travel 

• CorpTrav GetThere Quick Guide (PDF)
• CorpTrav FAQ

Q: What if I need help navigating or booking on GetThere?   
A: CorpTrav Online Support team is available at onlinesolutions@corptrav.com or 1-630-656-6598

CorpTrav Travel Counselor assistance: 1-630-656-6545

Airfare

Employees are expected to take the least costly fare offered that realistically meets business scheduling needs. Employees have the option of booking directly on-line through GetThere or with a travel counselor at CorpTrav. When traveling to international destinations (excluding Canada/Mexico), or when flying to/from multiple cities, bookings should be made with the assistance of a CorpTrav Travel Counselor. Commercial internet sites (e.g. Travelocity, Expedia) are not to be used. Airfare booked through any method other than GetThere or CorpTrav will not be reimbursed.

Airline Booking Guidelines

• Tickets should be purchased at least 14 days in advance.
• Flights are expected to be booked in Coach/Economy class. Booking flights other than Coach class require pre-approval by a Vice President or Senior Vice President for staff, or the President of UWMF or his designee for faculty.
• Employees are expected to purchase the least expensive logical airfare available at the time of booking including non-direct flights and alternate airports. Explanation during the booking process will be necessary when the airfare purchased is $100 or more than the least expensive available airfare.
• For domestic travel, one day of “business travel” is allowed before and after the business event. For international (excluding Canada and Mexico) travel, employees are allowed two days prior and two days subsequent to the business event as “business travel”.
• Use of personal private aircraft for company business is not permitted and will not be reimbursed.

Luggage Fees

• Airline imposed checked luggage fees are reimbursable for the first piece of luggage. Additional luggage fees may be reimbursed if there is a documented business or medical need for the additional luggage.

Frequent Flyer/Personal Airline Credits

• Frequent flyer miles/points or companion tickets are not to be used for business travel. If they are used, they carry no value and therefore, no reimbursement is allowed.

Non-Reimbursable Commercial Airline Fees

Non reimbursable items include, but may not be limited to:

• Fees for a specific type of seat (i.e., bulk-head, window, exit row, aisle) unless due to documented medical necessity.
• Early boarding or pre-boarding fees.
• Fees associated with upgrades for purchase.
• Fees associated with airport security clearance programs (i.e., TSA Pre-check/Global Entry).
• Fees associated with travel club or Red Carpet dues.
• Fees associated with airline affinity program upgrades.
• Expense associated with alcoholic drinks or on-board movies or other on-board amenities. (On board internet can be reimbursed if there is a documented business need.)
• Tickets, fees or other expenses associated with personal travel.
• Fees to change a ticket for personal reasons.
• Fees for cancellation insurance.

Payment & Reimbursement Options

Each Department of Medicine division has a UW Health credit card that can and should be used to book flights - contact your division administrator for more information on using this card. Personal credit cards may be used; however, reimbursement for expenses charged to a personal credit card will not be reimbursed until the travel has occurred.

Receipt & Documentation Requirements

A complete invoice from GetThere or CorpTrav are required.

Lodging

Employees are expected to take the least costly option offered that realistically meets business scheduling needs. Employees have the option of booking directly on-line through GetThere or with a travel counselor at CorpTrav. For domestic reservations within 72 hours of departure or when traveling to international destinations (excluding Canada/Mexico), bookings should be made with the assistance of a CorpTrav Travel Counselor. Commercial internet sites (e.g. Travelocity, Expedia) are not to be used. Hotels booked through any method other than GetThere or CorpTrav or directly with the conference hotel will not be reimbursed.

Hotel Booking Guidelines

Employees will be reimbursed for moderately priced rooms at reasonable and convenient facilities.

• Hotel expenses will be allowed up to the single standard rate at the conference site hotel when attending seminars, classes, association meetings, conventions, etc. If the conference hotel is full, lodging at an alternate hotel recommended by the conference will be reimbursed up to the single standard rate at the conference hotel.
• Employees are expected to reserve the least expensive logical 3-star rating or higher hotel available at the time of booking. Hotel rates generally should be less than $300 per night per room.
• Employees who share a room may allow one individual to pay the bill for that room and receive reimbursement. However, the name of all employees staying in the room should be noted in the reimbursement request. The total cost of the room should still stay within the $300 per night per room guideline regardless of number of individuals staying in the room.
• Hotel expenses will not be reimbursed if the conference or other business meeting is within 50 miles of the employee’s home unless the travel is for a multi-day event.
• Employees are responsible for understanding the cancellation policy of each hotel at the time the reservation is made and must cancel the reservation by the hotel policy deadline to avoid hotel imposed cancellation fees.
• Employees will not be reimbursed for hotel no-show charges in the event a hotel reservation is not canceled by policy deadline unless there is a legitimate business need for the cancellation, i.e. provider needed to cover in clinic or a documented family emergency (such as a death in immediate family, sudden illness of employee or member of the immediate family).

Payment & Reimbursement Options

Personal credit card. Hotel reservation deposit is reimbursable at the time the expense is incurred subject to pre-approvals. Reimbursement requests must be submitted within 90 days of last date of travel.

Receipt & Documentation Requirements

Hotel expenses require a hotel folio. Room service on the hotel folio is acceptable. If alcohol is being included in the hotel folio, it must be separately identified within the designated booking and reimbursement system.

Vehicle Rental

Employees can book directly on-line through GetThere or with a travel counselor at CorpTrav to receive contract benefits with preferred car rental vendors. Commercial internet sites (e.g. Avis, Enterprise) are not to be used. Car rental booked through any method other than GetThere or CorpTrav will not be reimbursed.

Car Rental Booking Guidelines

• Car rentals should only be used for business purposes and only when more economical than a taxi or shuttle or driving a personal vehicle.
• A mid-size vehicle is recommended for individual travel. A larger vehicle is acceptable when three or more UW Health employees are present.
• Insurance coverage should be declined for all domestic rentals. If purchased, it will not be reimbursed. Refer to UW Health Administrative Policy 1.17, Motor Vehicle Policy. For international rental insurance should be purchased and will be reimbursed.
• Refueling prepaid options should be declined and will not be reimbursed.
• Employees are expected to refuel prior to returning the rental car. This expense is reimbursable. If refueling is not possible, an explanation in the comment section of CorpTrav should be included on the expense report.
• GPS rental is acceptable when there is a business need.

Payment & Reimbursement Options

Personal credit card. Reimbursement request must be submitted within 90 days of last date of travel.

Receipt & Documentation Requirements

Original vehicle rental agreement, and the itemized receipt as provided upon vehicle return.

Rental Car Accidents/Tickets

Please refer to: UW Health Administrative Policy 1.17, Motor Vehicle Policy

Mileage, Parking, Tolls

Mileage

UW Health will reimburse employees for the use of their personal automobile based on the current IRS authorized mileage rate, at a per mile rate times the actual miles driven for business purposes. This mileage allowance is provided to cover operating expenses such as fuel, oil, repairs, tires, maintenance, insurance, etc.

• Eligible mileage consists of work-related business travel with required deduction of commute to/from assigned primary office location. All out-of-state work-related business travel is eligible for mileage reimbursement, with required deduction of commute to/from assigned primary office location.
• The mileage used for reimbursement will be based on the calculation via Google Maps shortest route. UW Health Employees who drive their personal vehicles between worksites, for conferences, meetings, and other work-related business will be reimbursed for parking, tolls and mileage for more than normal commuting costs to and from their assigned office location.
• Toll fees are reimbursable without a receipt since traveler may obtain a fee schedule online as verification. Advance deposits placed on individual toll pass accounts are a personal expense, but invoices may be used as verification of specific business trip charges.
• Employees choosing to drive to a location in lieu of the cost of flying (and associated costs of car rental, taxi, airport parking) will be reimbursed up to the documented associated costs of flying if that is less expensive.
• All mileage driven more than what would normally be traveled to and from one’s official primary UW Health office location is reimbursable. Mileage driven from home/remote locations to their primary UW Health office location is not reimbursable. An official office/location is defined as a company defined building for non-remote employees. Employees using personal cars on UW Health business (such as travel to other UW Health locations or business locations other than the individual’s assigned work location where there is no overnight stay) are reimbursed for costs (mileage, parking, and tolls) more than normal commuting costs to and from their assigned office location. If an employee’s work location varies, this still applies. If an employee travels to a meeting at the beginning of the work day, or the end of the work day without stopping at his/her assigned work location, the employee would deduct his/her normal commuting trip to determine the allowable mileage.
• If an employee is required to attend a meeting on a non-scheduled work day, the day of the meeting becomes a scheduled work day and no mileage reimbursement is allowed. The employee would be paid for the actual hours worked.
• For employees with frequent mileage claims, a monthly log (including date, destination, business purpose, and miles driven) may be used and filed as a receipt to the reimbursement request.
• Employees driving their own personal vehicle to conduct UW Health business are covered by the corporate liability insurance policy but only in excess above the liability coverage on the private vehicle itself. Refer to the UW Health Motor Vehicle Policy 1.17.

Payment & Reimbursement Options

Parking and tolls can be paid with a personal credit card, mileage will be reimbursed after travel. Reimbursement request must be submitted within 90 days of last date of travel.

Receipt & Documentation Requirements

Receipts will not be required to be submitted for parking, local transportation, tolls and business use of internet access under $25. Mileage requests require starting and ending location addresses and mileage totals.

Bus, Train, Taxi

The most inexpensive mode of ground transportation should be used - preferably public transportation, i.e., shuttle service or taxis. Ride sharing services such as Uber and Lyft are also acceptable.

Payment & Reimbursement Options

Personal credit card. Reimbursement request must be submitted within 90 days of last date of travel.

Receipt & Documentation Requirements

Receipts are not required for public transportation under $25. Receipts are required for non-public transportation (e.g., cab fares, Uber, Lyft).

Registration Fees

General Guidelines

• Conferences/seminars/meetings must be for business purposes. Conference costs determined to be primarily for pleasure or other personal benefit will not be reimbursed.
• Employees are expected to take advantage of early pay discounts.
• UW Health will not reimburse for any late fees or additional charges.

Expenses that are NOT reimbursable include, but are not limited to the following:

• Cruises, or conference on cruise ships
• Conference costs determined to be primarily for pleasure or other personal benefit
• Conference or other continuing education not related to one current UW Health role
• Conference add-ons for activities more social in nature for fun, attending a museum tours or sporting event, etc.

Payment & Reimbursement Options

Each Department of Medicine division has a UW Health credit card that can and should be used to pay registration fees - contact your division administrator for more information on using this card. Employees can also use a personal credit card and request reimbursement - either at the time the expense is incurred in advance of actual travel, or must be submitted within 90 days of last date of travel.

Receipt & Documentation Requirements

A receipt showing the total paid and last four digits of credit/debit card used is required, as well as pages from the brochure that shows the name of the conference, where it was held, the date(s) of the conference and the conference agenda.

Meals & Incidental Expenses

Meal Guidelines

• The $70/day meal reimbursement is being replaced with a Meal & Incidentals Expenses (M&IE) Per Diem Rate for overnight meals for travel after March 1, 2024.
• The M&IE is a daily allowance paid to employees for meals and incidental expense incurred when traveling on business. This allowance is in lieu of paying for actual travel expenses. The per diem rate includes all meals, room service, personal phone calls, personal internet fees, bottled water, laundry/dry cleaning/pressing of clothing and fees/tips for persons who provide services, such as food servers and luggage handlers.
• No receipts will be required to be submitted with the per diem rate.
• The reimbursement rate is set by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and vary by city location (https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates).
• First/Last day of travel. Reimbursement must be reduced to 75% of per diem rate on the first and last day of travel.
• Reimbursement must be reduced for any meals provided to the traveler within the scope of their business travel (e.g., lunch included in a conference registration fee, business dinner with colleagues for which the traveler didn’t pay). Reductions are 50% for dinner, 30% for lunch and 20% for breakfast. This reduction applies to all days of travel, including the first/last day. The incidental portion of the meals and incidental expenses is not affected by this reduction. Note: hotel breakfast (provided by a lodging facility or conference) or meals provided as part of an airline ticket do not require a deduction from a traveler’s per diem allowance.

Group meals are not allowed for reimbursement. In general, if you go out for a meal with a group (outside of the conference provided meals) each person should pay for their own meal and then request the per diem reimbursement for that meal. UW Health will not reimburse one person if they pick up the tab for the group. 

There are some situations (special events) where dinners may be considered a division-funded event. These must be pre-approved and meet specific criteria. If you feel your dinner would fall into this category reach out to your division administrator well in advance of the conference. In these situations, the individuals who attend will have a reduced per diem. 

Incidental Expenses

Room service meals, hotel gratuity and laundry expenses are part of the M&IE Per Diem and wouldn’t be separately reimbursable. 

The per diem rate includes an amount for incidental expenses, including 

• Tips for restaurant staff, porters, baggage handlers, hotel housekeeping or other service staff, valets, etc.
• Transportation between places of lodging or business to obtain meals 
• Phone calls (business or personal)     
• Internet fees (personal) 
• Laundry, dry cleaning or pressing of clothing 
• Bottled water 
• Mailing and other expenses associated with filing expense reimbursement claims

Payment & Reimbursement Options

Cash, personal check or debit/credit card.

Receipt & Documentation Requirements

Receipts are not required for per diem allowances. Per diem allowances are reimbursed after the trip is completed per each day with the conference agenda or similar serving as documentation. 

When provided meals are not consumed and purchases a different meal due to medical dietary/religious reasons, the traveler would not have to take a per diem deduction. The purchased meal will require a receipt as documentation of the meal to get the per diem rate. 

Any other supporting documentation to substantiate the expense. Expenses related to conferences/courses or other continuing education travel would require the employee to attach pages from the brochure that shows the name, where it was held, the date(s) and the agenda/schedule. This also applies for virtual/online continuing education.

International Travel

For international (excluding Canada and Mexico) travel, employees are allowed two days prior and two days subsequent to the business event as “business travel."

When traveling to international destinations (excluding Canada/Mexico), flight, hotel, and car rental bookings should be made with the assistance of a CorpTrav Travel Counselor.

Additional Documentation Requirements

• When a payment is made using a foreign currency, the receipt must be converted to US Dollars.  Documentation supporting the exchange rate used must be attached to the expense report or other payment mechanism.
• A credit card statement showing the US conversion must be included for documentation. 

 

Combining Business Travel and Personal Travel

Occasionally, an employee may combine personal travel with a business trip. The primary purpose of a trip is determined by looking at the facts and circumstances of each case. An important factor is the amount of time you spent on personal activities during the trip as compared to the amount of time spent on activities directly relating to business portion of the trip.

When this occurs, the following applies:

1. If your trip was primarily for business and, while at your business destination, you extended your stay for a vacation, made a personal side trip, or had other personal activities, you may submit only your business-related travel expenses for reimbursement. These expenses include the travel costs of getting to and from your business destination and any business-related expenses at your business destination.
2. If your trip was primarily for personal reasons, such as a vacation, the entire cost of the trip is not an allowable business expense. However, you may be able to be reimbursed for expenses you have while at your destination that are directly business related.
3. A trip to a resort may be a vacation even if the promoter advertises that it is primarily for business. The scheduling of incidental business activities during a trip does not constitute a business trip. To be deemed a qualified business trip, over 50% of the agenda must be for business.
4. The rules for foreign travel are particularly complex. The amount of allowable travel expenses for foreign travel is linked to how much of the trip is business related. Generally, an employee can be reimbursed for all of his or her travel expenses of getting to and from the business destination if the trip is entirely for business. In certain cases, foreign travel is considered entirely for business even if the employee did not spend his or her entire time on business activities. Example, a foreign business trip is considered entirely for business if the employee was outside the U.S. for more than one week and he or she spent less than 25 percent of the total time outside the U.S. on non-business activities. Other exceptions exist for business travel outside the U.S. for less than one week and in cases where the employee did not have substantial control in planning the trip. For further details on allowable expenses, please reference IRS. Publ. 463.

Note: Calculations should be done comparing the airfare without personal travel and plans against the airfare with personal travel plans. Airfare is reimbursed up to the cost of what the business ticket would have been without the personal portion. The employee’s supervisor/manager must approve any such trip combination in advance.

Reimbursement Process

Travel/Trip Pre-Authorization

All business trips shall be discussed with and pre-approved by the employee’s supervisor to ensure the benefits of the trip are justified in relation to the time and expense required prior to the travel/trip. Employees should consider whether alternate meeting options could satisfy the objectives in lieu of travel (teleconference, webinar, etc.). It is up to each department to determine how formal or informal such pre-approval shall be for that department.   

Reimbursement Process

• UW Health will not reimburse for any late fees or additional charges.
• To receive reimbursement travelers must submit an Expense Report through the appropriate designated reimbursement system.
• All reimbursable expenses should be submitted within 90 days of when the purchase was made (or the end date of the conference if applicable) or when the expense was incurred. No exceptions will be granted for non-employees for either travel or non-travel-related expense reports submitted in excess of the 90-day requirements of the Accountable Plan and will be reported as taxable income for the individual reimbursed.Every effort should be made to capture the expense in the fiscal year in which it was incurred.
• It is recommended that reimbursements be limited to two per month. Expense reports should total at least $25 or are nearing 90 days old. Multiple trip expenses may be included on one expense report.
• Reimbursements to UW Health employees will be direct deposited into the employee’s designated bank account. It is the employee’s responsibility to verify/provide any updated banking information.
• UW Health will only reimburse expenses incurred by the employee requesting the reimbursement. An employee may not be reimbursed for expenses of another employee’s expenses unless otherwise stated under the expense type within this policy.

Cost Comparison

• Travelers must obtain a cost comparison under the following circumstances:
  • Indirect routing or extra stops for personal reasons
  • Travel prior to or after the required business travel dates. For international (excluding Canada and Mexico) travel, employees are allowed two (2) days for travel prior and two (2) days of travel after the business event. For domestic travel, one (1) day of business travel is allowed before and after the business event.
  • Using transportation methods that are not the most efficient or cost-effective (i.e., electing to drive/take a train versus fly when flying would be the most efficient and cost-effective option) iv. Departing from/returning to an alternate city (not near headquarter city) for personal reasons v. Any other situation where the traveler’s itinerary is modified for personal reasons.
• Either the traveler’s actual flight or their comparison flight – whichever is less expensive – is payable/reimbursable. UW Health will not pay/reimburse excess costs related to personal travel.
• Acceptable cost comparisons include Contracted Travel Agency screenshots or documents (such as emailed quotes). For screenshots, it is recommended to “Save to PDF.” Due to airfare pricing and availability fluctuation, accurate cost comparisons must be done at the time of booking to be valid. Airfare reimbursement expense reports submitted without a valid cost comparison will be paid or reimbursed at a flat rate of 80% of the total cost of the fare, no exceptions.
  • A valid cost comparison includes:
    • Proof that the cost comparison was done on the same date as the purchased actual airfare
    • Proof of the comparable search parameters (date of search, times, etc., are relevant and appropriate) (c) Proof that the travel dates shows on the comparison correspond with the business dates

Approvals

• All reimbursements must be submitted by the employee and have supervisor approval for the expense report.
• The approver is responsible for verifying that the expenses are for legitimate business purposes in compliance with these policies and for monitoring and approving travel and business expenditures against funds availability.

Documentation Requirements

• There must be a business connection for the expenses.
• Employees must substantiate the expense by providing documentation; proof of payment; attesting that the expense has not been reimbursed from another source and that the expenses are legitimate business expenses.
• Itemized receipts are required. The credit card signature slip is not adequate documentation as it does not indicate what has been actually purchased. A copy of a receipt showing the last four digits of credit/debit must be included as proof of payment. A copy of a canceled check can also be used as proof of payment.
• Required receipts must be attached to the completed expense report.
• Conference expenses require the employee to provide pages from the brochure that shows the name of the conference, where it was held, the date(s) of the conference and the conference agenda to the reimbursement request.
• Claims for reimbursement should clearly state the purpose; and when applicable, the dates, location and attendees.
• UW Health will only reimburse expenses incurred by the employee requesting the reimbursement. An employee may not be reimbursed for expenses of another employee for such things as parking spaces, airfare for conference attendance, etc. However, when several UW Health travelers dine together, one employee may obtain a receipt for the group or each may obtain a receipt for the portion of the meal that corresponds to his or her expense. If one employee pays for a meal, he or she should list on the receipt the names of those present. See the Lodging section for information on sharing hotel rooms.

Reimbursement

• Reimbursements to employees for Legacy UWMF will be direct deposited into the employee’s designated bank account. It is the employee’s responsibility to verify banking information.

 

For international travel, you must obtain a letter of support from the chair indicating that the purpose of the trip is work-related before booking. 

Contact Julie Hyland with your expected travel location, dates, purpose, and funding source (be sure to confirm funds are available prior to request) to begin this process. UW also requires enrolling in CISI International Health Insurance, which will be reimbursable as a travel expense.

• Annual clinical obligations must still be met – international travel is not a valid reason for not meeting clinical obligations.
• Leave reporting should be discussed in advance with Division leadership
• The Department of Medicine does not fund mission-type work (Doctors without Borders, etc) and this would need to be done with personal time and funds.