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Workers Comp Transportation in Illinois
Illinois workers' comp carriers must pay reasonable travel expenses for authorized medical treatment under 820 ILCS 305/8(a) — Dream Care Rides bills the carrier directly and the injured worker pays nothing at the curb.
Ambulatory, wheelchair, and stretcher transport to IMEs, physical therapy, surgery follow-ups, and specialist visits across the Chicagoland metro and statewide Illinois. We work with major ABMs including One Call, MedRisk, Homelink, and Mitchell.
20000 Governors Dr Suite 103H, Olympia Fields, IL 60461 · Google rating 5.0 (45+ reviews) · HIPAA BAA available
Does workers comp cover transportation?
Yes. In Illinois, workers' comp covers transportation to authorized medical treatment for a work-related injury.
The legal basis is the Illinois Workers' Compensation Act, 820 ILCS 305/8(a), which requires the employer (through the insurance carrier) to pay all necessary medical, surgical, and hospital services — and that includes the reasonable cost of getting to and from those services when the injured worker cannot safely drive or use public transit.
Covered trips usually include:
- Independent Medical Exams (IMEs) scheduled by the carrier or counsel
- Physical therapy and occupational therapy sessions
- Orthopedic follow-ups and specialist consults
- MRI, CT, and imaging appointments
- Pre-op and post-op surgical visits
- Injection series and pain management
- Wound care and rehab
- Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCEs)
Dream Care Rides handles the billing end-to-end. Call (708) 505-6994 to start a new workers' comp case, or book online and add the claim number in the notes field.
How to book a ride with your workers comp claim
Four steps. Most new cases are cleared for dispatch within 24 hours of the first call.
1
Gather claim details
You'll need the claim number, carrier name, adjuster name and phone, date of injury, and the treatment authorization (or the referring physician's order).
2
Call (708) 505-6994 or book online
Tell us the pickup address, drop-off (clinic or hospital), appointment time, mobility status (walking, wheelchair, or stretcher), and whether oxygen or a stairchair is needed.
3
We confirm with the carrier or ABM
Dream Care Rides verifies coverage with the workers' comp carrier or their ancillary benefits manager (One Call, MedRisk, Homelink, Mitchell) before the ride is dispatched. You are not on the hook for payment.
4
Ride the day-of
Driver arrives, helps you into the vehicle (door-to-door or door-through-door depending on service level), transports you to the appointment, waits, and returns you home. Sign the trip sheet; the bill goes to the carrier.
What Dream Care Rides provides for workers comp claimants
Three vehicle tiers matched to the injured worker's mobility status. Illinois base rates and per-mile ranges below. The carrier is billed at the agreed rate; the injured worker pays nothing.
Ambulatory (Sedan/SUV)
For claimants who can walk with minimal assistance. IME visits, doctor appointments, physical therapy, pharmacy stops, and return-to-work exams.
$35 – $65 base
$2 – $4 per mile
Curb-to-curb, door-to-door, or hand-to-hand service levels.
Wheelchair (ADA Van)
Hydraulic lift, Q-Straint four-point securement, door-through-door service. For claimants in manual or power wheelchairs following orthopedic or spinal injury.
$65 – $115 base
$3 – $6 per mile
Stretcher (Ambulette)
Bed-to-bed, room-to-room. For non-ambulatory post-surgical workers or severe injuries requiring recumbent transport. Two attendants standard.
$300 – $525 base
$5 – $16 per mile
Surcharges: Weekends 1.5×, Holidays 2.25×, Wait time $15 – $30 per 15 minutes, Oxygen $25, Stairchair $25. All rates are ranges — final pricing depends on distance, wait, equipment, and service level.
Billing: we work with your carrier
Most Illinois workers' comp carriers route transport through an ancillary benefits manager (ABM). Dream Care Rides is set up to work with the major ABMs used across the state.
One Call
Transportation and language services network.
MedRisk
Physical therapy and ancillary benefits coordinator.
Homelink
Ancillary network for transport, DME, and home health.
Mitchell
Workers' comp claim and ancillary management platform.
How the billing flows:
- Claim number, carrier, and authorization confirmed on intake.
- Ride completed; trip sheet signed by the injured worker.
- Invoice submitted to the carrier or ABM through their EDI workflow, with the claim number and matter tag attached.
- Payment processed on the carrier's standard cycle.
- Denials and re-bills managed by Dream Care Rides, not the worker or the firm.
If your carrier uses a network we are not yet credentialed with, most new ABM credentialing takes 2–5 business days. Call (708) 505-6994 to start the process.
Documentation we provide
Workers' comp carriers, ABMs, and defense counsel all audit transport invoices. Every ride from Dream Care Rides generates the paperwork they need.
- ✓Timestamped trip sheetPickup time, drop-off time, wait time, and return time — all logged from dispatch.
- ✓Mileage logPickup address, drop-off address, and total loaded miles for the per-mile billing line.
- ✓Signed injured-worker manifestThe claimant signs at pickup and drop-off, confirming service delivery.
- ✓Driver name and vehicle IDFor chain-of-custody, especially on IME and FCE transports.
- ✓Claim-number tagged invoicesEvery invoice line carries the workers' comp claim number so adjusters can reconcile against the file.
- ✓Monthly statementsConsolidated view of every trip per claim, broken out by date, vehicle type, and total charge.
Working on a PI or litigation case too?
Workers' comp bills direct-to-carrier. For personal injury litigation outside the workers' comp system, Dream Care Rides offers retainer and firm-pay Net-30 billing options.
See the full legal transport billing page →Workers comp transportation FAQ
The questions injured workers, case managers, adjusters, and attorneys ask most about Illinois workers' comp transport.
Does workers comp cover transportation in Illinois?
Yes. Under Illinois Workers' Compensation Act 820 ILCS 305/8(a), employers and their insurance carriers must pay reasonable travel expenses for authorized medical treatment of a work-related injury. That includes mileage reimbursement for personal vehicles and the full cost of non-emergency medical transportation when the injured worker cannot safely drive or use public transit.
Who pays for the ride — the injured worker or the carrier?
The workers' comp carrier pays, not the injured worker. Dream Care Rides bills the carrier or their ancillary benefits manager directly. The injured worker pays nothing at the curb, signs the trip sheet, and the invoice goes to the adjuster or ABM.
How do I book a workers comp ride?
Call (708) 505-6994 or submit a booking request online. Have the claim number, carrier name, adjuster contact, and treatment authorization ready. We confirm coverage before dispatch, then schedule the ride. Same-day booking is available for ambulatory trips; wheelchair and stretcher rides typically need 24 hours lead time.
What insurance carriers and ancillary benefits managers do you work with?
Dream Care Rides is set up to work with Illinois workers' comp carriers and the ancillary benefits managers (ABMs) they use to coordinate transport — including One Call, MedRisk, Homelink, and Mitchell. If your carrier uses a different network or requires network-specific credentialing, we can usually complete that paperwork within a few business days.
What types of vehicles do you provide for workers comp claimants?
Three tiers: ambulatory sedans and SUVs for workers who can walk with minimal help, ADA-compliant wheelchair vans with hydraulic lifts and Q-Straint securement, and stretcher ambulettes for non-ambulatory post-surgical claimants. The vehicle type matches the treatment authorization and the injured worker's mobility status.
What does workers comp transportation cost in Illinois?
Illinois base rates are $35 – $65 for ambulatory, $65 – $115 for wheelchair, and $300 – $525 for stretcher, plus per-mile charges of $2 – $4, $3 – $6, and $5 – $16 respectively. The carrier is billed at the rate agreed to in credentialing or at the published range. The injured worker sees a zero-dollar ride.
What if the carrier denies the transport bill?
Dream Care Rides handles denials and re-billing. We document the treatment authorization, the physician order, the trip details, and resubmit to the carrier or ABM with the required attachments. The injured worker and the firm are not pulled into the appeal unless absolutely necessary.
Do you transport to IME appointments?
Yes. Independent Medical Exams (IMEs) scheduled by the carrier, the employer, or the claimant's attorney are routinely covered. We provide the same trip sheet, signed manifest, and timestamped documentation regardless of who requested the IME.
Can you handle recurring rides for physical therapy or dialysis?
Yes. Standing orders for physical therapy, wound care, injection series, or dialysis are built into our dispatch system. Once the treatment schedule is shared, the same claimant gets the same pickup time across the full treatment window without rebooking every visit.
What documentation do I get for the workers comp file?
Every ride generates a trip sheet with pickup time, drop-off time, mileage, origin and destination addresses, vehicle type, driver name, injured worker signature, and the claim number. Monthly statements summarize all trips per claim. Documentation meets the standard carriers and ABMs expect for audit.
Do you serve all of Illinois?
Yes. Dream Care Rides covers the Chicagoland metro including Cook, DuPage, Lake, Will, Kane, McHenry, and Kendall counties, plus long-distance transfers across Illinois. See our coverage area for specific cities and suburbs.
How fast can a new workers comp case be onboarded?
Most new cases are cleared for billing within 24 hours once the claim number and authorization are confirmed. Carriers we already credential with are same-day. New carrier credentialing typically takes 2–5 business days.
Coverage disclaimer: This page is informational and is not legal advice. Workers' compensation coverage varies by claim, carrier, and injury. Injured workers and adjusters should confirm eligibility, authorization, and network requirements with the claim handler before scheduling transport. Dream Care Rides is a medical transportation provider, not a workers' compensation carrier, claims administrator, or law firm.
Book a workers comp ride
Call (708) 505-6994 with your claim number, carrier, and authorization. We verify coverage, dispatch the right vehicle, and bill the carrier directly — zero cost at the curb for the injured worker.
Toll-free (866) 507-5724 · All services · Coverage area