Travel for Treatment and Rehabilitation

We may be able to support you with your travel costs if your travel is for:

• treatment of an accepted condition
• rehabilitation of an accepted condition
• an assessment we asked you to have
• an assessment the Appeals Board or a review officer asked you to have.

We may be able to support you with travel costs of someone travelling with you, if:

• you’re medically certified as unfit to travel alone, and
• they can give you the help you need to travel.

Costs we can help with are the travel itself, accommodation and meals, and out-of-pocket costs. Costs must be actual, reasonable, and not covered by another organisation.

Travel we'll cover

We’ll pay for travel by:

• private vehicle for a round trip — $0.62 per km for the first 200km, then $0.27 onward
• rail, bus, or ferry
• ambulance — if you had to pay
• another reasonable means if needed.

In some circumstances, we may cover airfares. You must get pre-approval from us before you start your travel.

Travel that isn't covered

We won’t cover:

• international travel
• cancelled travel arrangements, or
• unreasonable costs.

Unreasonable costs include:

• a taxi fare if you could reasonably have used public transport
• a public transport fare if you could have travelled free with a SuperGold Card.

Accommodation we'll cover

We can help with the costs of an overnight stay if:

• it was in commercial accommodation, and
• you could not reasonably have avoided an overnight stay — based on your health and what your health provider approves.

We’ll pay up to:

• NZD$110 for one person
• NZD$150 for two people when the second person is an approved escort.

Meals we'll cover

If you need an overnight stay, we’ll help with meal costs.

For a period under 24 hours, we'll pay up to:

• NZD$45 for dinner
• NZD$25 for lunch
• NZD$15 for breakfast

For a period of over 24 hours, we'll pay up to NZD$85 total.

We won't cover costs related to alcohol.

Out-of-pocket costs we'll cover

We’ll only help with out-of-pocket costs if they:

• were directly linked to the travel — for example, parking or road toll fees
• could not be avoided except by paying more for other travel costs, and
• are supported by evidence — for example, a pay-and-display parking ticket.

Once costs are incurred, the deadline for claiming them is the last day of the following month. We must receive the claim by that date.

1. Complete the Claim Form for Travel for Assessment, Treatment or Rehabilitation.
2. Send the application form and any supporting information to us.

Download the Claim Form for Travel for Assessment, Treatment or Rehabilitation [PDF, 551 KB]

As supporting information, we'll need originals or certified copies of:

• receipts for the appointment, and
• itemised tickets or receipts showing the amount paid and on what day.

If you don’t have these due to your disability, try to send other evidence you travelled.

Contact us for more information

We strive to be transparent. If you want to know how this entitlement is administered you can read the policy.

Travel for Treatment and Rehabilitation policy [PDF, 852 KB]