TRAVEL and accommodation costs for rural patients going to cities for medical treatment will soon be cheaper, with subsidy rates increasing from tomorrow.
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The state government recently made good on its pre-election promise to increase the accommodation subsidy from $43 a night to between $80 (for stays of more than week) and $105 (for stays of longer than a fortnight) at for-profit (commercial) accommodation providers.
As part of the Isolated Patients Travel and Accommodation Assistance Scheme (IPTAAS), the petrol subsidy for patients has also been boosted, from 19 cents to 22 cents per kilometre.
Inala House-based Cancer Council NSW Tamworth accommodation and support services co-ordinator Shaen Fraser said she had been campaigning to try to make the scheme fairer for almost nine years.
“It used to be you’d have to travel 200km before you were eligible to access the scheme. We canvassed pretty heavily to get it reduced down to 100km. Ever since, we’ve been looking at improved rates of reimbursement,” Ms Fraser said.
“We’ve been waiting for it eagerly, so we’re glad (the state government) have come good on their pre-election promise. That’s wonderful to see.
“The rates are really welcomed – they’ve nearly doubled. But of course, people are still going to be out of pocket.
“So it’s a win for lots of people, not just people affected by cancer. We’re really happy that that’s coming into play on September 1.”
The state government has also simplified the paperwork involved in the scheme, with applications able to be made online.
However, Ms Fraser said the process could still be simplified further, especially for accommodation providers.
“It’s something that we’ve been watching, as an organisation, for a long time, so any improvement is greatly appreciated and just helps those regional people – when they’re away from home, they’ve got so much expense,” she said.
“Here in Tamworth, Inala House, we’ve always just charged the IPTAAS reimbursement rate, so people aren’t out of pocket when they stay here.
“It will help facilities – not just ours, but others that are running on the IPTAAS reimbursement rate – to not be so out of pocket. That’ll be really good for them as well.”
