Arizona Workers' Comp Medical Benefits and Payment Timing Under A.R.S. § 23-1062

Under A.R.S. § 23-1062, an Arizona worker injured on the job is entitled to prompt medical, surgical and hospital care once the employer has been notified. The same statute covers interpreter services, reimbursement for long trips to treatment, and the timing of the first wage-benefit check. This guide walks through what the statute says, based on the text published by the Arizona Legislature.

Medical, surgical and hospital benefits

Subsection A provides that, after the employer is notified of the injury, the employee is entitled to prompt medical, surgical and hospital care. That includes treatment, medicine, supplies, and mobility or prosthetic devices needed because of the injury and during the period of disability. The statute describes this package as "medical, surgical and hospital benefits."

Interpreter services

Subsection B extends these benefits to interpreter services when they are needed. The carrier, self-insurance pool or employer may choose a translator who holds an outside certification and is not on its payroll, unless it directs care under § 23-1070. If no certified translator is available for the language or dialect involved, the parties may agree on one who is not certified.

Travel to treatment

Subsection C allows reimbursement of reasonable travel costs when a worker must travel more than twenty-five miles from home to get care for the injury. Keeping a simple record of dates and distances for each appointment makes that reimbursement easier to document.

When the first payment is due

Subsection D sets the payment timetable for wage-replacement benefits:

• The first payment is due within 21 days after the Industrial Commission notifies the carrier of the claim, unless the claim is denied.
• During temporary total disability, payments are made at least every two weeks. After that period, they are made at least monthly.
• No compensation is paid for the first seven days of disability. If the disability continues beyond that, payment begins on the eighth day.

How payment is made

Subsection E says payment is normally made by a negotiable instrument payable on demand. If the employee chooses it and the employer or carrier offers it, payment can instead be made electronically, such as by direct deposit or to a dedicated prepaid debit card.

Where this fits in the rest of a claim

These provisions assume a claim has been accepted. If you have not yet reported the injury, start with the reporting deadlines that protect a claim. If your claim is denied, the clock on the 90-day hearing request matters more than anything above. And once payments begin, how Arizona calculates the wage benefit explains where the amount comes from.

What to keep in mind

The statute sets general rules, not an outcome for any individual claim. Whether a particular treatment is covered, who directs care, and when a payment is late all depend on the facts of the claim. Questions about a specific claim can go to the Industrial Commission of Arizona or a licensed attorney.

This article explains Arizona law in general terms and is not legal advice. Statute descriptions are based on the Arizona Legislature's published A.R.S. § 23-1062.