Travel costs
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.
If you have to travel to get treatment for your work-related injury or illness or to attend an independent medical examination, you may be entitled to reimbursement of your reasonable travel costs.
This can include:
- private motor vehicle
- air travel
- meal and accommodation expenses, and
- travel costs for a medically required support person.
Before you travel
If you want to claim the cost of travel, make sure you meet the requirements. We recommend you speak to your claims manager to obtain pre-approval for your travel costs. Your claims manager may be able to assist with arranging certain travel needs such as flights or accommodation and provide information specific to your circumstances.
Eligibility
Comcare will reimburse reasonable travel costs if your travel is needed to attend medical treatment for your work-related injury or illness.
- You will need to obtain tax invoices/receipts for your travel costs.
- Comcare may require a record of attendance from the doctor/clinic you attend.
- Your doctor must recommend the need for this type of transport (or the need for a support person) and give their supporting reasons on the medical certificate or in writing.
- Comcare will determine whether travel costs are payable, having regard for the circumstances of the travel and the reasonableness of the costs.
Public transport
You may need to use public transport (including buses, trains and taxis) to attend medical treatment for your accepted condition. Your doctor must recommend the need for this type of transport and give their supporting reasons on the medical certificate or in writing.
Ambulance
Ambulance services are assessed in the same manner as other mode of transport. You may only be reimbursed for ambulance costs where it was medically necessary for you to travel by ambulance due to your accepted injury. You must provide supporting medical evidence confirming that the use of an ambulance was reasonably required in the circumstances.
Transport by taxi or ride share
You may need to travel by taxi, for example when travelling to or from airports during a larger trip to obtain medical treatment, or when you are unable to use other forms of transport. You can submit your receipts for reasonable travel by taxi or a ridesharing company, such as Uber, for reimbursement. You must provide medical evidence that confirms the necessity of using taxis or ridesharing. If you are not sure, discuss with your Claims Manager first.
Comcare may be able to provide Cabcharge vouchers to you if you are unable to pay for your taxi in advance. These vouchers are not valid with ridesharing companies. Please discuss any such requirement with your Claims Manager.
Private vehicle
You may request reimbursement for travel expenses when you use the private vehicle to attend a medical examination or to obtain medical treatment for your accepted compensable condition.
For medical treatment
- To be reimbursed, your return journey must exceed 50 kilometres and use the most direct route available.
- 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.
- Parking costs are only payable if the return journey, including outbound and return, is greater than 50km.
- Your travel costs are not payable, even if the journey is over 50km, when:
- you are attending medical treatment on the way to or from work, or
- you only need to detour slightly to attend the appointment.
For an independent medical examination
- If you have to travel to attend an independent medical examination, there is no minimum distance requirement. The journey is payable at the specified rate per kilometre.
- Where a private vehicle is used to travel to an independent medical examination, parking costs reasonably incurred are payable regardless of distance travelled.
Rate payable
- Private vehicle reimbursement is made at a specific rate per kilometre travelled. This rate is reviewed as necessary by the Minister of Employment and Workplace Relations. The current rate is 68 cents per kilometre and is subject to change.
Collecting medication
If you travel to collect medication from a pharmacy, compensation is only payable if:
- when using a private vehicle, the entire journey, including outward and return, exceeds 50km, or
- when using public transport, there is no distance requirement, but your injury had to reasonably require the use of such transport or services.
Where your travel to collect medication falls within these conditions, you need to provide medical justification to claim travel costs, as with any other claim for medical costs. Evidence could be in the form of a medical certificate from the Treating Health Practitioner explaining why it is necessary for you to travel a long distance to collect the medication, or why it is necessary for you to use public transport.
Air travel
Meal and accommodation expenses
Comcare may reimburse meal and accommodation costs where it is necessary to travel a long distance to attend a medical examination or medical treatment.
When assessing the reasonableness of costs for meals and accommodation Comcare will have regard to the:
- distance between the injured worker's home and the appointment location
- scheduled time of the appointment
- impact of travel on the employee's compensable condition
- the cost of the meals and accommodation
Support person travel costs
You may require or request a friend or relative to attend a medical examination or treatment with you. Comcare will meet the travel costs associated with that person attending. If a support person is not required for medical reasons, then costs associated with their travel will not be met by Comcare. Comcare will require supporting medical evidence that explains the medical need for a support person.
How to make a claim for travel costs
Employees of an Australian Government agency or statutory authority
Travel by public transport, taxi or rideshare
- Talk to your medical practitioner about your transport needs.
- If your medical practitioner decides that you need to travel by public transport, taxi or rideshare to your treatment due to your work-related injury or illness, you need a medical certificate or letter from your medical practitioner confirming this.
- Submit a request for travel reimbursement via email or the Medical Services Claim form (PDF, 95.9 KB) to us with the medical certificate, together with evidence that you attended the treatment and receipts for your travel,
Travel in an ambulance
- Submit the Medical Services Claim form (PDF, 185.0 KB) to us with the medical certificate or letter, along with medical documentation supporting your travel was required due to your compensable condition, together with the receipt or invoice for your travel in an ambulance.
Travel in a private motor vehicle
- Talk to your Comcare claims manager about your transport requirements for medical treatment.
- 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 and evidence to Comcare:
- email to general.enquiries@comcare.gov.au
- mail to Comcare, GPO Box 9905, Canberra ACT 2601.
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.
