Document name

Medical Appointment Allowance

Document number

PRO 17/2025

POL 17/2025, Medical Appointment Allowance, establishes guidelines for issuing a medical appointment allowance when a worker is occasionally absent from work to attend a medical appointment to maintain their current level of function.

1. How do WCB staff determine when a medical appointment allowance is payable for missed time to attend a medical appointment?
   1. WCB staff will determine whether the missed time was due to attending an appointment necessary to maintain the worker’s current level of function, or part of a treatment program aimed at returning them to their pre-injury level of function.
   2. The type of appointments will be one of the following:
      1. Occasional medical appointments when a worker is able to return to normal or modified employment duties and full hours of work, apart from missed time due to a medical appointment to maintain the current level of function, or
      2. Regularly scheduled medical appointments that are part of an ongoing or intensive treatment plan, as they are unable to return to normal or modified employment duties and full hours of work.
2. What types of appointments may be considered occasional appointments for the payment of a medical appointment allowance?
   1. These types of appointments may include, but are not limited to:
      1. Chiropractic treatment,
      2. Diagnostic appointment,
      3. Massage therapy treatment,
      4. Physiotherapy treatment,
      5. Primary care provider treatment (including family physician, nurse practitioner, etc.) or,
      6. Specialist treatment.
3. How is a medical appointment allowance calculated when the missed time from work was the result of occasional medical appointments?
   1. When a worker is absent from employment due to a medical appointment which is periodic in nature, the medical appointment allowance is equal to 100% of the worker’s gross earnings loss for the period of work missed.
   2. The medical appointment allowance is not an earnings loss benefit and is not subject to the maximum wage rate.
4. What types of appointments may be considered regularly scheduled appointments?
   1. These types of appointments may include, but are not limited to:
      1. Mental health treatment program,
      2. Secondary treatment program, or
      3. Tertiary treatment program.

Salary Continuance

5. Upon request, the WCB will reimburse the employer directly when the employer provides salary continuance to a worker for missed time due to attending a medical appointment.
6. How can an employer request reimbursement for salary continuance paid to a worker for missed time due to attending a medical appointment?
   1. Employers are encouraged to complete and submit the Medical Appointment Allowance (EMT) form found online (wcbsask.com), or
   2. Employers may contact the WCB with the following information:
      1. Date of the appointment(s),
      2. Number of work hours missed, and
      3. The worker’s hourly rate.
7. Before issuing a medical appointment allowance to the employer, WCB staff will verify that no deductions from the worker’s sick days or holiday were made due to the worker’s attendance at a work-related medical appointment.