Missouri law requires employers to reimburse injured workers for necessary and reasonable travel expenses when they must seek medical treatment outside their local or metropolitan area for a work-related injury. The current reimbursement rate is $0.725 per mile (as of January 1, 2026), with a maximum of 250 miles each way. Many injured workers don't know they're entitled to this — insurance companies count on that. Chris Miller is a former Missouri government attorney who administered the Division of Workers' Compensation who knows exactly what reimbursement you're owed and how to enforce it when the insurance company won't pay.
Bur Oak Injury Law serves injured workers across central Missouri including Columbia, Jefferson City, Fulton, Moberly, Rolla, and Waynesville. Call (573) 499-0200 for a free consultation — no fee unless we win.
Missouri Revised Statutes Section 287.140.1 requires employers to reimburse injured workers for necessary and reasonable travel expenses when they must receive medical treatment outside their local or metropolitan area. This isn't discretionary — it's the law.
$0.725 per mile (effective January 1, 2026). The prior rate was $0.64 per mile as of July 1, 2024.
250 miles each way from the place of treatment.
Missouri law requires reimbursement when injured employees must obtain medical treatment outside the local or metropolitan area. Many administrative law judges use a 25–30 mile roundtrip as the benchmark for reimbursement eligibility, though each claim depends on its specific facts.
Authorized medical treatment, doctor visits, physical therapy, hospital and pharmacy visits, specialist appointments, and other care related to the work injury. Tolls and parking may also be reimbursable when properly documented.
Date of travel, doctor or provider name, city of departure, city of destination, total roundtrip mileage, reason for medical treatment, and receipts.
If an employee lives outside Missouri but works for a Missouri employer, the employer may select a medical provider within 100 miles of the employee's residence, injury location, or hiring location.
Reimbursement is typically processed within 14–21 days of proper submission. If the insurance company delays or denies payment, legal action may be appropriate.
Insurance companies deny, delay, and underpay mileage reimbursement claims for several reasons:
When an insurer refuses to pay, the injured worker can pursue the claim before a Missouri DWC administrative law judge. An attorney can review the denial, gather the documentation needed, and enforce your rights under RSMo 287.140.
Chris Miller administered the DWC and knows how these disputes are handled. He knows the arguments insurance companies make and the evidence that defeats them. If your claim has been denied, contact us before accepting any result.
Chris personally handles every step of your mileage reimbursement claim — no handoffs to associates or paralegals. One attorney, your case, start to finish.
Most injured workers don't know they're entitled to mileage reimbursement — and insurance companies rely on that gap. They deny claims, apply outdated rates, or simply ignore submissions.
Before representing injured workers, Chris Miller served as a government attorney in the Missouri Department of Labor and administered the Division of Workers' Compensation — the state administrative body where these disputes are heard and decided. He's seen how mileage reimbursement disputes play out in hearings, what documentation moves administrative law judges, and what arguments insurance companies use to avoid payment.
At Bur Oak Injury Law, mileage reimbursement disputes are handled with the same rigor as the underlying injury claim settlement — because for many injured workers managing months of treatment, these dollars add up significantly. One attorney, no handoffs, from the first submission to the final resolution.
Read what our clients say on our testimonials page, or see our case results.
Many injured workers leave mileage reimbursement money on the table because they don't know it's owed. Insurance companies know this and use it. Chris Miller is a former Missouri government attorney who administered the DWC who handles every aspect of your workers' compensation claim — including travel expense enforcement. Free consultation. No fee unless we win.