4.5.50 Travel expenses
4.5.50.1 Assess request for travel expenses | 4.5.50.2 Taxi billing | 4.5.50.3 Indexation of travel or accommodation expenses
WorkSafe can reimburse reasonable travel expenses incurred by a worker to attend:
- medical or allied health in room treatment and hospital treatment required as a result of a work-related An injury/disease is work related if it arose out of or in the course of employment and the scope of employment. injury or illness, except for travel to or from a pharmacy
- Collection of medication from a pharmacy is expected to be completed when travelling to and from approved treatment. However, where an exceptional medication collection is required outside of this expectation, medical justification is required.
- Medical Panel Under the legislation, unless inconsistent with the context or subject-matter — Medical Panel means a Medical Panel constituted under Division 2 of Part 12 review
- General Practitioner (GP) Return to Work Case Conference
- Independent Medical Examinations
- Conciliation (see Conciliation costs )
- Community Integration Programs for TAC Transport Accident Commission clients.
Travel expenses are expenses for travel by:
- private motor vehicle
- public transport
- taxi or a ride share service driven by an accredited driver
- road ambulance
- air ambulance
- air travel.
WorkSafe can pay for the reasonable costs of a medical and like expense where a worker is entitled to provisional payments on a claimed mental injury.
See: 6.5 Provisional payments for a mental injury
Policy
Refer to policy and fee schedule for Travel Expenses for medical and hospital services and medical reviews, including information about:
- what an Agent can pay
- whether prior approval is required
- invoicing information
- maximum fees payable
Travel & accommodation for family members
Severe injury
WorkSafe can pay the reasonable travel or accommodation expenses incurred by immediate family members Family member means a partner, parent, grandparent, sibling or child of the worker or of the worker's partner of an injured worker where:
- the worker sustains a severe injury that requires immediate in-patient treatment in a hospital, and
- the hospital is located at least 100 kilometres from the family member Family member means a partner, parent, grandparent, sibling or child of the worker or of the worker's partner’s normal residence.
Reasonableness of travel expenses is assessed in line with the above policy.
The reasonable expense (capped per family unit, not per individual) cannot exceed $23,350.
The maximum amount is indexed 1 July each year and based on the date of injury.
See: Indexation of travel or accommodation expenses.
What WorkSafe will pay
- the reasonable costs of an adult to accompany a minor to a parent Parent of a worker includes a person who has day
to day care and control of the worker’s hospital when there are no other eligible family members available.
What WorkSafe will not pay
- the cost of meals, meal expenses are part of the normal cost of daily living
- travel or accommodation for family members who normally reside less than 100 kilometres from the hospital where the injured worker has been admitted
- travel or accommodation that exceeds the indexed statutory maximum.
Fatal injury
WorkSafe can pay the reasonable travel or accommodation expenses incurred by immediate family members of a deceased worker to attend the burial or cremation service of a worker where the service is held at least 100 kilometres from their normal residence.
The reasonable expense (capped per family unit, not per individual) cannot exceed $5,960.
The maximum amount is indexed 1 July each year and based on the date of death.
What WorkSafe will pay
- the reasonable travel or accommodation costs up to the maximum statutory allowance of $5,960 to attend a burial or cremation service of a worker held in Australia
- the reasonable costs of overnight accommodation for the day prior to the service or the day of the service. Additional days may be considered in exceptional circumstances such as air travel delays or cancellations due to inclement weather
- the reasonable costs of an adult to accompany a minor to a parent Parent of a worker includes a person who has day to day care and control of the worker ’s burial or cremation service when there are no other eligible family members available.
What WorkSafe will not pay
- the cost of meals, meal expenses are part of the normal cost of daily living
- travel or accommodation for family members who normally reside less than 100 kilometres from the place where the burial or cremation service is held
- travel or accommodation that exceeds the indexed statutory maximum.
