A $730,000 increase in funding for Patient Assisted Travel Scheme

9/9/99
Health Minister John Day today announced a $730,000 increase in the funding for the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme (PATS).
Mr Day said from October 1 the PATS kilometre rate for road travel would increase from 10 cents per kilometre to 13 cents per kilometre across the State.
He said this latest funding increase boosted the allocated budget for PATS from $8.4 million to $9.1 million.
A revised set of guidelines and a comprehensive, user friendly manual would also be released at the same time to assist doctors and people understand the administrative requirements to access the scheme.
"PATS provides an essential service to people in rural and remote areas who need to travel to access specialist medical outpatients services," Mr Day said.
"The scheme provides assistance with the cost of travel, accommodation, and provision for an escort to travel with the patient to provide assistance where necessary.
"This latest increase highlights the Government's ongoing commitment to this important scheme with allocated funding for PATS being boosted by more than 12.5 per cent over the last two years."
Mr Day said that in 1997-98 the allocated funding for PATS was $7.74 million. In 1998-99 the allocated funding was $8.13 million. With the change in the kilometre rate, the funding for PATS in 1999-2000 had now been increased from $8.43 million to $9.1 million.
The Minister said public input had been taken into account in preparing the revised new guidelines and manual. The guidelines had been clarified following responses from consumer groups to agencies such as the Rural Health Development Unit, and via concerns raised through letters to the Minister's office.
"Under the revised guidelines general practitioners will now be able to refer patients for PATS assistance to access CT scans, rather than the decision being made by a medical specialist," Mr Day said.
He said the processes for applying for PATS assistance would also be made clearer and easier to understand with the development of three new initiatives which included:

• a new doctors information kit to assist medical practitioners with PATS applications;
• current PATS forms have been revised to make it easier for consumers to apply for assistance; and-
• an information brochure for consumers has been developed to assist in the education and promotion of PATS.

Mr Day said the Government remained committed to the ongoing program of providing high quality health care services and facilities in rural and remote areas.
"If people are provided with these medical services closer to their homes, regardless of where they live, then it removes the need for PATS," he said.
Media contact: Mark Thompson on 9213 6600