Can I Get Reimbursed for Travel Expenses in My Workers' Compensation Case?

In nearly all states, workers' compensation programs provide for some type of mileage reimbursement for transportation to receive medical treatment for work-related injuries or illnesses.

States typically also allow reimbursement for your travel to an independent medical examination. In some states, such as California, injured workers can get reimbursed for any miles driven to and from a doctor's appointment, pharmacy, or other reasonably necessary treatment for their injuries.

Other states, however, allow reimbursement for medical-related travel only if it's over a certain distance (for example, more than 20 miles round trip in North Carolina). And some states with distance minimums, like Texas (which only reimburses travel over 30 miles one way), may add a requirement that the medical treatment wasn't available closer to the employee's home.

Workers' Comp: Which Travel Expenses Can Be Reimbursed?

Depending on the rules in your state, you can potentially receive reimbursement for a wide range of medical-related travel expenses after a workers' comp injury. These include:

• mileage
• lodging
• meals
• bus fares
• train tickets
• highway tolls
• parking, and
• bridge tolls.

That means you should keep your receipts if you incur any of these expenses while receiving treatment for a work-related injury.

Contact your state's workers' comp agency for the rules in your state.

How Much Is Mileage Reimbursement in 2022?

The rate for mileage reimbursement also varies from state to state. Many states adopt the IRS's mileage rate, which is 58.5 cents per mile for 2022. Other states set their own mileage rates.

How to Get Reimbursed for Workers' Comp Travel Expenses

To obtain reimbursement, you'll need to submit the required documentation to the workers' comp insurance company.

Drivers should keep a mileage log, noting the miles that you drive during each trip to your doctor, therapist, or other treatment approved through workers' comp.

The workers' comp agencies in many states provide standard mileage reimbursement forms that can be used for this purpose. You can usually download these forms from the agency's website. (Find links to the agency in your state on this map tool.)

You should submit your mileage reimbursement form, along with receipts for any other travel expenses such as train tickets or parking, to the insurance company on a regular basis.