DOCUMENTING YOUR EXPENSES
• Your insurance carrier is required to provide you with transportation expenses for all travel to your doctor(s), physical therapist(s), pharmacy, laboratories etc. In your client folder we have enclosed several Transportation Expense Forms to help you keep an accurate record of these expenses. You need to keep your log of mileage, parking and bridge toll costs on these forms to submit periodically for reimbursement.
• While you are entitled to reimbursement for transportation costs related to your medical treatment, the law unfortunately does not allow reimbursement for transportation costs related to the legal processing of your claim(s). Therefore, you should not include mileage, parking and bridge toll costs, which arise due to visits to our office (except for a deposition) or to the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board.
• In some circumstances, it may be necessary for you to advance payment for medical needs like the purchase of medications or medical aides such as a cane, brace, hot packs, etc. We would ask that you avoid advancing costs if at all possible unless the treatment need is urgent. If you must advance a cost, please keep receipts and record these expenses in the Bill of Particulars Form provided in your folder.
• If your injury claim is denied or delayed by the insurance carrier, you may need to obtain medical treatment on you own or through your private health insurance while your workers' compensation claim is in dispute. Keep copies of all billings, insurance statements, receipts, co-payments, etc. in the envelope provided in your folder. This information may then be submitted for reimbursement once your claim is accepted.
• You should submit the Transportation Expense Forms and Bill of Particulars directly to your insurance carrier; but please do not do so without making a copy of the form and your attached documentation for your records. This is critical, as without a dated copy you have no proof that the material was submitted. If you are unable to make copies of your paperwork, please stop by our office and we will make copies for you.
• If you are participating in a Vocational Rehabilitation Plan, you are also entitled to reimbursement for approved expenses. Please submit your expenses to your counselor, as they are responsible for forwarding vocational rehabilitation expenses to the insurance carrier. Please note that expenses that are incurred in vocational rehabilitation must be approved by your counselor in order to be reimbursed by the insurance carrier.
• Insurance carriers are allowed 60 days from submission of your Expense Reports to reimburse the expenses. If you have not received your reimbursement within this time period please let us know and we will follow up and file a Petition for Penalty if the delay has been unreasonable.
• Please understand that we cannot prove that you are entitled to reimbursement for any medical expenses if your properly designated treating physician has not prescribed the treatment. Likewise, we will not be successful on your behalf if you have not saved the receipts and documentation we need to prove what expenses you have advanced. Unfortunately, if you have not documented your expenses and kept copies of your Expense Reports and Bill of Particulars, we will not be able to assure that you are correctly reimbursed.
• If you have any questions or concerns or you need additional forms, please do not hesitate to contact our office.
• Please understand that the submission of mileage for reimbursement is under penalty of perjury. We will not review or correct any calculations, thus please be careful when assessing your figures. If an error occurs, it may cause months of delay until the issue is resolved.