Have you ever found yourself driving to the far reaches of your state for medical care? You put wear and tear on your car and expend fuel, yet you are hit with a huge healthcare bill at the end. Unfair, right?
Traveling extensive distances for medical care is common due to provider shortages in rural and remote areas. Although many of us face medical bills that create hardship, what should you do when it’s time to pay up after an exhausting road trip?
In this article, we’ll discuss whether you may be eligible for additional compensation if you have to travel to receive health care services!
Why Would One Need to Travel Long Distances for Medical Treatment?
For many North Carolinians, medical treatment centers may not be conveniently located. If you live out in the country, you could end up driving miles into the city every time you need to visit your doctor — And as we’ve mentioned before on our blog, frequent visits with your doctor can be incredibly important for maintaining your benefits.
Sometimes people need to travel long distances for medical treatment because the care they need is only available in certain places. For example, specialized medical treatments or surgeries might only be available at certain hospitals or facilities – and those facilities might be located in another city. If a person’s local hospital isn’t equipped to handle their ailment, they may need to travel even further distances to locate appropriate care.
Additionally, certain areas have become known for being medical tourism destinations – meaning that patients have traveled to distant locations specifically for medical attention or surgery. People often go abroad for elective surgeries like cosmetic procedures, dentistry services, orthopedic operations, fertility treatments and more due to favorable cost-savings on those treatments when received away from home.
It’s important to understand why one needs to travel long distances for medical treatment in order to assess reasonable expectations with regard to potential reimbursement opportunities that might be available. Generally speaking, some form of compensation is typically acknowledged and provided by employers if the employee has no alternative but to seek out mental or physical healthcare many miles away from their home base of operations.
What is Considered a Significant Distance for Traveling to Receive Medical Treatment?
What is considered a significant distance for traveling to receive medical treatment depends on the type of medical treatment and the patient’s condition. Generally, if the patient has to travel more than 1 hour (driving or public transportation) than in most cases it can be considered a significant distance.
In some cases, patients may have to fly to another city or state in order to receive specific medical treatments that may not be available in their local area. Depending on the location and circumstances, some patient may also receive compensation for their travel expenses such as airfare and lodging.
The exact rules of what is considered a ‘significant distance’ can vary from one jurisdiction to another and depend on each individual case. Therefore, it is important for any potential claimant to contact an experienced attorney in their area who can provide advice about their own unique situation.
Will You be Entitled for Additional Compensation if You Have to Travel for Medical Purposes?
The good news is that if you have to travel 20 miles or more round-trip for your medical treatment, you may be entitled to compensation for your mileage. This includes travel completed during the first seven days following your accident, when compensation for work is not yet due.
In order to claim compensation for travel, you must file a Form 25T with the North Carolina Industrial Commission to track your medical mileage. It is important to keep track of your mileage to ensure you are properly compensated. North Carolina adjusts the rate of reimbursement each year, so you may receive a different amount based on when you had to travel.
