Updated 01/01/2026
Minnesota Workers' Comp Medical Mileage Calculator
Log your round trips to medical appointments for your work injury. Each trip is priced at the DLI rate in effect on the trip date, and the total is what you submit to the adjuster for reimbursement.
How this works
Travel to and from medical care for your work injury is reimbursable under Minn. R. 5221.0500, subp. 2(E). The rate is keyed to the date of each trip (not your date of injury) and follows the DLI chart: currently 72.5¢ per mile. Log your round trips below; each row can cover repeat visits to the same place.
Trip log
Tip: if you made the same round trip several times (say, 12 physical therapy visits), one row with “number of trips” set to 12 does it. Use separate rows when the rate year or destination differs.
Rate table (recent years)
| Effective | Cents per mile |
|---|---|
| 2026-01-01 | 72.5¢ |
| 2025-01-01 | 70¢ |
| 2024-01-01 | 67¢ |
| 2023-01-01 | 65.5¢ |
| 2022-07-01 | 62.5¢ |
| 2022-01-01 | 58.5¢ |
Full history back to 1999 is in the DLI chart. The rule technically pays the lesser of your employer's ordinary business travel rate or the state rate; the DLI chart above is the rate used in practice.
This is an informational tool, not legal advice. Results depend entirely on the information you enter and may not reflect all statutory exceptions or fact-specific rules. Verify against the underlying statute and consult an attorney for case-specific decisions.
In Minnesota workers’ comp, travel to and from medical care for your work injury is reimbursable at the state mileage rate in effect on the date of each trip: 72.5 cents per mile for trips in 2026 (70 cents in 2025). (Minn. R. 5221.0500, subp. 2(E).)
Reviewed by Daniel C. Swenson, Minnesota workers' compensation attorney, Robert Wilson & Associates. Rates verified through 2025-10-01. General information, not legal advice.
How medical mileage reimbursement works
Every drive to and from medical care for your work injury counts: doctor visits, physical therapy, imaging, the pharmacy, independent medical examinations, and rehabilitation appointments.
The rate is keyed to the date of the trip, not your date of injury. It changes each January 1 and follows the DLI chart, which tracks the IRS standard business mileage rate.
Reimbursement = round-trip miles × the rate for that trip date. Mileage is not subject to the 85 percent fee-schedule reduction that applies to medical charges.
The insurer pays documented mileage routinely, but almost never without being asked. Submit a written log with dates, destinations, and miles, and keep a copy.
Worked example
Say you drove 24 miles round trip to physical therapy 12 times in early 2026, and 30 miles round trip to a specialist twice in late 2025. The therapy trips pay 288 miles × 72.5¢ = $208.80, and the specialist trips pay 60 miles × 70¢ = $42.00, for a total of $250.80.
How serious is your situation?
Use your result as a screen. Green means the numbers line up; red means something is off and the dispute steps usually have firm deadlines.
Green: may be on track
You have been submitting mileage logs and the insurer has been paying them at the correct rate. Keep logging every trip while treatment continues.
Yellow: worth watching
You have been treating for a while and have never submitted mileage, or the insurer paid at last year’s rate for this year’s trips. Build the log now: appointment records and pharmacy receipts will reconstruct the dates.
Red: act quickly
You submitted a documented mileage log more than 30 days ago and the insurer has not paid or responded. Unpaid reimbursements can carry interest, and a pattern of ignoring them is worth raising with DLI or a lawyer.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the Minnesota workers’ comp mileage rate right now?
- For trips on or after January 1, 2026, the rate is 72.5 cents per mile. Trips in 2025 pay 70 cents per mile, 2024 trips pay 67 cents, and 2023 trips pay 65.5 cents. The rate follows the date of the trip, so a log spanning years uses more than one rate.
- Which trips can I claim mileage for?
- Travel to and from medical treatment for your work injury: doctor and specialist visits, physical or occupational therapy, chiropractic care within the treatment parameters, imaging, picking up prescriptions, independent medical examinations the insurer schedules, and vocational rehabilitation appointments. Parking and, where reasonable, other actual travel costs can be claimed too; keep receipts.
- How do I actually get paid for medical mileage?
- Send the adjuster a written log with the date of each trip, where you went, and the round-trip miles, and ask for reimbursement. A simple spreadsheet or this calculator’s printout works. Submit on a regular schedule (say, monthly) while treatment continues, and keep a copy of everything you send.
- Does the insurer have a deadline to reimburse mileage?
- Reimbursement is generally due within 30 days of receiving your documented request. If a documented log sits unpaid, follow up in writing; late payments can carry interest, and persistent nonpayment is worth raising with the Department of Labor and Industry.
- Is mileage reduced like medical bills are?
- No. The 85 percent limitation that applies to many provider charges does not apply to your travel-expense reimbursement. You are owed the full mileage amount.
- What if I could not drive and someone drove me, or I took a taxi?
- The reasonable cost of getting you to necessary treatment is still the insurer’s responsibility. A family member who drives you can generally claim the same mileage, and if your condition requires professional medical transportation or a taxi, the reasonable documented cost is payable; keep receipts.
- Can I claim trips from years ago I never submitted?
- Yes, within the life of your claim you can submit past travel; use the rate that was in effect on each trip date. Reconstruct dates from appointment records, pharmacy printouts, and your calendar. Do not let unsubmitted mileage accumulate, though: it is easier to document as you go.
Sources
- Minn. R. 5221.0500 (payment for medical services; travel)
- MN DLI benefit adjustments chart with mileage rates (PDF)
- MN DLI benefit adjustments & rate tables
- All sources
How we keep this math current, including our test suite and rate-change history: accuracy and source notes.