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Travel costs

For: Claimants Advocates

You may be entitled to be reimbursed for the cost of travel to attend medical treatment that you need as a result of your work-related injury or illness.


Before you travel

If you want to claim the cost of travel, make sure you meet the requirements and have the necessary evidence and approval before you travel.


Eligibility

To reimburse travel costs, the medical treatment you need must be as a result of your work-related injury or illness.

You must also need to travel:

  • in an ambulance, public transport or taxi because of your work-related illness or injury, or
  • by private motor vehicle more than 50 kilometres round trip to a single treatment session.

If the type of treatment you need is available from another medical provider who practices within the 50-kilometre round-trip limit, you are not eligible to be reimbursed for travel unless we determine there are special circumstances.

Payment is made at a specific rate per kilometre travelled. This rate is reviewed regularly and updated as appropriate.

How to make a claim for travel costs

Employees of an Australian Government agency or statutory authority

Travel by public transport or taxi

  1. Talk to your medical practitioner about your transport needs.
  2. If your medical practitioner decides that you need to travel by public transport or taxi to your treatment due to your work-related injury or illness, you need a medical certificate or letter from your medical practitioner confirming this.
  3. Submit the Medical Services Claim form (PDF, 185.0 KB) to us with the medical certificate, together with evidence that you attended the treatment and receipts for your travel.

Travel in an ambulance

  1. If your medical practitioner considers that you need to travel in an ambulance to your treatment, you need a medical certificate or letter from your medical practitioner confirming this.
  2. Submit the Medical Services Claim form (PDF, 185.0 KB) to us with the medical certificate or letter, together with the receipt for your travel in an ambulance.

Travel in a private motor vehicle

  1. Talk to your Comcare claims manager about your transport requirements for medical treatment.
  2. If the agreed private motor vehicle travel is more than 50 kilometres round trip, complete your journey details on a Medical Services Claim form (PDF, 185.0 KB) and send the form to us.

To submit a form to Comcare:

Employees of a self-insured licensee

If you work for an organisation which is a self-insured licensee, a staff member in your organisation or a third-party provider manages your claim. Speak with your human resources team for more information.

See a list of corporations and organisations with a self-insurance licence.

If you disagree with the determination

If you disagree with our determination, you can ask us to reconsider it. You need to submit an application for reconsideration within 30 days of our determination or apply for an extension of time.

For more information about this process, see Apply for a reconsideration.

Page last reviewed: 02 December 2019

Comcare
GPO Box 9905, Canberra, ACT 2601
1300 366 979 | www.comcare.gov.au

Date printed 12 Oct 2024

https://www.comcare.gov.au/claims/supports-benefits/travel-costs