Review secured to benefit rural, regional and remote patients
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A review will be undertaken of the Isolated Patients Travel and Accommodation Assistance Scheme (IPTAAS).
It's hoped the review will prevent remote patients choosing not to seek medical treatment because of the steep cost of travel, and improve the application process to receive the benefit.
Member for Barwon Roy Butler in Parliament this week secured a commitment from Health Minister Brad Hazzard that the review will take place.
The current IPTAAS subsidies of 22 cents per kilometre for private vehicle travel, and $43 per night for the first seven nights per financial year.
Mr Butler said this falls "well short of making the smallest of dents in the huge travel cost people in my electorate incur when travelling for medical care."
"The [Health minister] in response to a question I put to him in Question Time on Thursday has agreed to review the IPTAAS rates, and whether they're appropriate. He's agreed to report back to me on that within six months," Mr Butler states.
"Unfortunately what we see is people in the bush not accessing care because they simply cannot afford the cost of travelling, they can't afford the cost of time off work and paying for fuel and a hotel room."
He said having this situation occur in NSW in 2021 is unacceptable.
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"I accept that people in my communities will have to travel for some kinds of specialist medical care. What I don't accept is the massive cost."
Mr Hazzard has also responded to Mr Butler's calls to review the application process, in the hope of reducing stress on carers.