A medical appointment across Los Angeles County can consume fuel, parking money, bridge tolls, and half a day. One trip may look small. Months of treatment, therapy, pharmacy visits, and medical-legal appointments can turn that “small” expense into real money.
California's Division of Workers' Compensation announced on July 23, 2026, that the mileage reimbursement rate for medical and medical-legal travel increased to 76 cents per mile. The increase applies to qualifying travel on or after July 1, 2026, regardless of when the work injury occurred.
The announcement came more than three weeks after the effective date. That creates an immediate records problem: workers may already have submitted July mileage at the old rate or may have trips they never logged.
The practical move is simple. Audit the calendar, separate trips by date, and build a record the claims administrator can actually verify.
This article provides general information, not legal advice. Whether a trip or expense qualifies depends on the medical purpose, claim facts, supporting records, and applicable law.
What Changed on July 1, 2026?
DWC's July 23 release says the rate increased by 3.5 cents, from 72.5 cents to 76 cents per mile.
Two details matter:
- The travel date controls the rate. A trip on or after July 1, 2026, uses the new rate. An older trip uses the rate that applied when that travel occurred.
- The injury date does not block the increase. DWC says the 76-cent rate applies to qualifying travel on or after July 1 even if the work injury happened years earlier.
Do not combine January, June, and July travel into one unlabeled total. A clean submission shows each trip date so the proper rate can be applied.
Which Trips May Qualify?
DWC's workers' compensation benefits page describes reimbursement for reasonable transportation expenses when an injured worker travels for treatment of a work injury. It identifies reasonable travel to and from:
- doctors;
- hospitals;
- physical or occupational therapy;
- and pharmacies.
DWC's new release also identifies medical-legal travel. That may include a QME or another medical-legal examination connected to the claim.
The updated DWC form says reasonable travel expenses can include:
- mileage;
- parking;
- bridge tolls;
- public transportation;
- and other related travel costs.
Not every trip connected loosely to a claim is necessarily medical travel. Ordinary commuting, a trip to meet a lawyer, or travel to handle personal errands should not be dropped into the mileage form without a valid basis. Record the medical purpose and destination instead of assuming the claim administrator will understand it.
Audit Trips From July 1 Forward
Because DWC announced the increase on July 23, review trips beginning July 1.
Check:
- phone calendars;
- clinic or hospital portals;
- appointment cards and reminder texts;
- therapy schedules;
- pharmacy receipts;
- QME or medical-legal appointment notices;
- parking receipts;
- bridge-toll statements;
- public-transit records;
- and maps or route history used to reconstruct mileage.
If you already sent a July reimbursement request using 72.5 cents per mile, keep that submission and any payment record. Then ask the claims administrator in writing whether the post-July 1 trips will be adjusted to the new rate. Do not alter the old submission or pretend it was never sent. Preserve the sequence.
Use the Fields on DWC's Updated Form
California's updated bilingual medical-mileage form asks for:
- the injured worker's name;
- claim number;
- date of travel;
- the address traveled from;
- the name and address of the doctor, hospital, therapist, or other destination;
- round-trip mileage;
- parking;
- and tolls.
Use one row per trip. “Therapy all month” is harder to verify than separate dates, addresses, and round-trip miles.
For each entry, save proof of the appointment or medical purpose. Useful records include:
- appointment confirmations;
- visit summaries;
- therapy attendance records;
- pharmacy receipts;
- medical-legal appointment notices;
- and messages rescheduling or canceling a visit.
A route screenshot can support distance, but it should not replace the date, addresses, and medical record. If the route changed because of a closure, transportation limitation, or another reason, write a short factual note.
Keep Parking, Tolls, and Transit Separate
Do not bury every travel expense inside the mileage number.
The form has separate columns for parking and tolls. Keep receipts, electronic statements, or screenshots showing:
- date;
- amount;
- facility or crossing;
- and connection to the medical trip.
For public transportation, save the fare receipt, transit-card history, or app record if available. If someone else drove you, document who drove, why, and the trip details rather than making assumptions about reimbursement.
Send It to the Right Place and Keep Proof
The DWC form instructs workers to complete the form, attach receipts, send the original to the insurance company, and keep a copy.
It specifically says not to send the original or a copy to the local Workers' Compensation Appeals Board office or the Information and Assistance officer.
Before sending anything:
- scan or photograph the completed form;
- save every attached receipt;
- record the date submitted;
- record the email, portal, fax, or mailing address used;
- keep delivery confirmation when available;
- and save the claims administrator's response.
A reimbursement request that exists only in an outgoing envelope is a future argument. Give it a timestamp.
Medical-Legal Examination Travel Needs Its Own Paper Trail
Labor Code section 4600 separately addresses travel when a worker attends a physician examination requested by the employer, insurer, DWC, WCAB, or a workers' compensation judge. The statute includes mileage and bridge tolls and contains payment-timing language for those examinations.
If the trip involved a QME or another requested medical-legal examination, preserve:
- the appointment notice;
- who requested or scheduled the examination;
- the location;
- any travel check or advance received;
- the mileage and toll calculation;
- and communications about missing or incorrect payment.
Do not assume a treatment-trip reimbursement and a medical-legal travel payment were handled the same way merely because both involved driving.
What if the Reimbursement Is Missing or Wrong?
The current DWC form says that if travel costs are not paid within 60 days, the worker should contact an Information and Assistance officer.
Before making that call, organize:
- the submitted form;
- receipts;
- proof of submission;
- appointment records;
- the rate used for each travel date;
- any partial payment or check stub;
- denial or explanation letters;
- and written follow-up with the adjuster or claims administrator.
Start with a calm written question:
I submitted medical-travel expenses on [date] for trips from [date range]. Please confirm whether the request was received, which rate was applied, and whether any additional record is needed.
A missing payment can result from a wrong address, duplicate entry, disputed medical purpose, incorrect rate, missing receipt, or claim-handling disagreement. Do not assume the reason. Ask for it in writing.
Small Expenses Still Need a Real Record
Mileage reimbursement is not the largest benefit in most workers' compensation claims. That does not make it imaginary.
For injured workers traveling from Downey, the Gateway Cities, Southeast Los Angeles County, or elsewhere across Los Angeles County, repeated medical trips can become expensive. A simple trip log, current DWC form, receipts, and proof of submission can keep those expenses from vanishing into the claim file.
Sources
- DWC Newsline #2026-60: Mileage reimbursement rate increased to 76 cents per mile
- DWC: Workers' compensation benefits and mileage rates
- DWC: Updated medical mileage expense form
- DWC forms and prior mileage forms
- California Labor Code section 4600
Talk to WCLG if the Travel Record Does Not Match the Payment
If your California workers' compensation mileage, parking, toll, or other medical-travel reimbursement is missing, delayed, or calculated at the wrong rate, Workers' Compensation Law Group can help you review the paper trail and understand what options may apply. Call (562) 608-8870 or contact WCLG for a free consultation about your specific situation.