What Injured Workers' Need to Know About Medical Mileage Reimbursement

Workers injured on the job are entitled to reimbursement for medical mileage. This reimbursement includes expenses for transportation to and from the treating physician, physical therapy, and the pharmacy.

The rate at which mileage reimbursement is paid varies. Per the Labor Code, "it is dependent upon the mileage rate adopted by the Director of the Department of Personnel Administration pursuant to Section 19820 of the Government Code, whichever is higher, plus any bridge tolls. The mileage and tolls shall be paid to the employee at the time he or she is given notification of the time and place of the examination." As you can see from the following chart, the reimbursement rate has changed five times since July 2006.

The above rates are to be used for transportation during the period listed. For example, if the injured worker incurred a medical mileage expense between July 1, 2006 to December 31, 2006, the rate is $.445/mile.

You can click on the dates in the above and link to a Medical Mileage Expense Form for that specific period of time, which you can print off and use to request reimbursement.

Lastly, injured workers commonly ask, "How long do I have to wait for my reimbursement?" According to case law, the insurance company has 60 days from receipt of the request to pay or dispute the mileage reimbursement request.

Injured workers are encouraged to timely submit their mileage reimbursement requests (i.e. every 90 days) to facilitate prompt reimbursement.

The law firm of Gordon, Edelstein, Krepack, Grant, Felton & Goldstein, LLP handles workers' compensation claims and third-party civil lawsuits on behalf of injured workers, as well as a wide range of personal injury cases. The law firm is committed to the fight for fair benefits and compensation to injured workers.