Overview
An employee who sustains a work injury may be entitled to medical benefits under Iowa workers' compensation law.
This page contains frequently asked questions (FAQ) about medical benefits in Iowa.
Legal Advice
The FAQ pages are intended to provide general information about the Iowa workers' compensation system. For resources to help you get legal advice, click here.
Table of Contents
- Who chooses medical care?
- What type of care must the employer provide?
- Do medical benefits include services and supplies?
- What should an employee do if the employee is dissatisfied with employer-provided care?
- What travel expenses are an employer responsible for?
- Must an employer reimburse an employee for mileage traveled to get medical care for a work injury?
- What is the mileage reimbursement rate for mileage traveled to get medical care for a work injury?
- Does an employee receive payment for lost wages if the employee is required to leave work for medical treatment for a work injury?
- Must an employee share medical information concerning the employee's physical or mental condition relative to a workers' compensation claim with the employer or insurance carrier?
- Must an employer or insurance carrier share medical information concerning an employee's physical or mental condition relative to a workers' compensation claim with the employee?
FAQ
Who chooses medical care?
The employer has the right to choose the medical care in most circumstances.
In an emergency, an injured employee may choose medical care if the employer or employer's representative can't be reached.
What type of care must the employer provide?
The employer must provide medical care reasonably suited to treat an employee's work injury.
Do medical benefits include services and supplies?
All reasonable services and supplies such as crutches, artificial members, appliances and permanent prosthetic devices to treat the injury are payable.
Artificial members or orthopedic appliances, which are damaged or made unusable by circumstances arising out of and in the course of employment (other than through ordinary wear and tear) are to be repaired or replaced by the employer/insurance carrier.
Crutches, artificial members or appliances, which are damaged or made unusable in conjunction with a work injury entitling the employee to disability benefits or medical benefits are to be repaired or replaced by the employer/insurance carrier. Crutches, artificial members or appliances, which are damaged in connection with employee actions taken to avoid a work injury are to be repaired or replaced by the employer/insurance carrier.
Appliances are defined as hearing aids, corrective lenses, orthodontic devices, dentures, orthopedic braces or any other artificial device used to provide function or for therapeutic purposes.
What should an employee do if the employee is dissatisfied with employer-chosen care?
If an employee is dissatisfied with the care chosen by the employer, the employee should discuss the problem with the employer (or its insurance carrier). An employee can request alternate care from the employer (or its insurance carrier). If the employer (or its insurance carrier) does not allow the requested care, the employee may file a petition for alternate care with the Iowa Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC).
Must an employer reimburse an employee for mileage traveled to get care for a work injury?
The employer's responsibility to pay for medical care to treat a work injury includes reasonable and necessary travel expenses for care.
What travel expenses are an employer responsible for?
Necessary transportation expenses, as outlined, are also payable if the expenses are incurred in the course of treatment of the injury:
- Mileage incidental to the use of a private auto.
- Meals and lodging if incidental to the examination/treatment.
- Cost of public transportation.
- Taxi fares or other forms of local transportation if incidental to the use of public transportation.
- Ambulance service or other means of transportation.
What is the reimbursement rate for mileage traveled to get medical care for a work injury?
The mileage rate for use of a private car to travel to and from care for a work injury is the business standard mileage rate allowed by the federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in effect on July 1 of each year.
To view current and past mileage rates, click here.
Does an employee receive payment for lost wages if the employee is required to leave work for medical treatment for a work injury?
Under certain circumstances, if an employee is required to leave work for care to treat a work injury, the employee may receive payment of lost wages.
Can a medical care provider seek payment of charges from an employee while a contested case is pending before DWC?
A medical care provider cannot seek payment of charges for treatment from an employee while a contested case proceeding or a dispute as to the reasonableness of a medical treatment fee is pending before the Iowa Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC).
Must an employee share medical information concerning the employee's physical or mental condition relative to a workers' compensation claim with the employer or insurance carrier?
Any party making or defending a claim for workers' compensation benefits agrees to release all information concerning the employee’s physical or mental condition relative to the claim and waives any privilege for the release of such information. The information must be made available to any party or the party’s representative upon request. This means an employee must share medical information concerning the employee's physical or mental condition relative to a workers' compensation claim with the employer or insurance carrier.
Must an employer or insurance carrier share medical information concerning an employee's physical or mental condition relative to a workers' compensation claim with the employee?
Any party making or defending a claim for workers' compensation benefits agrees to release all information concerning the employee’s physical or mental condition relative to the claim and waives any privilege for the release of such information. The information must be made available to any party or the party’s representative upon request. This means the employer or insurance carrier must share medical information concerning the employee's physical or mental condition relative to a workers' compensation claim with the employee.
More Info
For more information about workers' compensation in Iowa, click here.