Travel is a covered medical expense
Getting to and from authorized treatment costs money, and in a New York comp case that cost is treated as part of the medical benefit. Mileage to see your treating provider, attend physical therapy, pick up prescriptions, or report for a carrier-arranged examination is generally reimbursable, along with related travel costs such as parking, tolls, and, where it applies, public transit fare.
Reimbursement runs to the injured worker rather than to a medical provider, which makes it different from the billing that flows between a doctor’s office and the carrier. Because the money comes back to you, the recordkeeping is also on you, and that is where most reimbursement problems start.
What you need to record
The carrier reimburses what you can document. For each trip, that means the date, the destination, the reason for the visit, and the round-trip distance. Mileage is paid at the state-set rate in effect for that travel, so the figure you record is the distance; the rate is applied for you.
Keeping a simple running log as you go is far easier than reconstructing months of appointments later. Note the trip the day it happens, hold on to parking and toll receipts, and keep your appointment records consistent with your travel records so the two line up when the carrier reviews them.
How the request reaches the carrier
Mileage and travel reimbursement is requested using the Board’s travel-expense claim form, submitted to the insurance carrier. You list the qualifying trips and the supporting detail, and the carrier processes the reimbursement. Submitting periodically, rather than holding a year of trips, keeps the amounts manageable and the documentation fresh in the file.
Travel for a carrier-directed examination, such as an IME, is reimbursable on the same principle: you were required to travel as part of the case, so the cost is covered. Keep that travel logged alongside your treatment trips, since it follows the same submission path.
Common reasons reimbursement stalls
The usual snag is not a dispute over the rate; it is a gap in the record. A trip with no date, a destination that does not match an authorized provider, or a claimed distance that cannot be tied to an appointment gives the carrier a reason to question it. Tight records prevent most of that.
Travel reimbursement is one of the few parts of a comp medical benefit where the patient is the one holding the paperwork. Treat it like an expense report you keep current rather than a stack to assemble at the end, and the back-and-forth over trips you took months ago mostly disappears.
What you can claim
- Mileage — round-trip distance to authorized treatment, paid at the state-set rate.
- Parking and tolls — keep the receipts.
- Public transit — fare where that is how you traveled.
- IME travel — trips to a carrier-directed exam are reimbursable on the same basis.
A simple trip log
For every trip, capture five things the day it happens:
- Date
- Destination (the authorized provider or exam)
- Reason for the visit
- Round-trip distance
- Any parking/toll/transit receipts
A quick way to stay on top of it
- Log each trip as it happens rather than reconstructing later.
- Keep travel records consistent with your appointment records.
- Submit the Board’s travel-expense form to the carrier periodically.
- Make sure each destination ties to an authorized appointment.
This is general educational information about New York workers’ compensation travel reimbursement, not legal advice. If a reimbursement is denied or delayed, you can confirm your options with the Workers’ Compensation Board or a qualified attorney.