Just the Tip of the Iceberg: Labor Scraps Patient Travel 4-day Rule

Hinchinbrook MP and KAP Deputy Leader, Nick Dametto.

16 July 2024

The recent announcement by the State Government that they will scrap the Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme (PTSS) 4-day rule is a small step forward but fails to address the significant issues that exist within the scheme according to the Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) Deputy Leader and Hinchinbrook MP, Nick Dametto.

In 2017, an investigation by the Queensland Health Ombudsman (QHO) highlighted Queensland Health’s significant administrative failure to act on numerous recommendations to improve the PTSS. Despite these findings, Queensland Health has failed to review and adequately update the subsidy amounts or the administrative functions of the scheme that result in processing delays and frustration for patients.

Mr Dametto was scathing of last year’s State Budget which made minor funding increases to the PTSS rates. The accommodation rate was increased from $60 per night to $70 per night and the mileage rate was increased from 30 cents per kilometre to 34 cents per kilometre.

The Hinchinbrook MP said that in 2023 the Palaszczuk Government boasted a record health budget but only increased PTSS rates by a mere $10 per person per night for accommodation and an additional 4 cents per kilometre for mileage.

“The increased rates are a pittance in comparison to what patients are forking out to access vital medical care and KAP have consistently called for the rates to be doubled, increasing mileage to 60 cents per kilometre and the overnight accommodation subsidy to $120,” he said.

“In addition to the insufficient rates was the burden of the 4-day rule that applied to the accommodation subsidy meaning claims for accommodation could not be made for the first four nights each financial year, and patients were 100 per cent out of pocket for that expense.

“This latest feel-good measure of scrapping the 4-day rule will offer some small reprieve to a selection of patients, but it barely scratches the surface of problems faced by those who are forced to lean on the PTSS for financial assistance.

“Administratively, the PTSS is largely paper based which quite simply, is not conducive to efficient processing times.

“It goes to show just how out of touch State Labor Government is with regional and rural Queenslanders. They clearly don’t understand the array of challenges that exist, they’ve just cherry picked the easiest solution they want to solve and ignored the rest.

“If they spoke with people in places like Tully they would know that patients up there are waiting four months before they are receiving any subsidy assistance.

“When what little help on offer is so significantly delayed, it causes severe stress to some of our most vulnerable residents.”

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