Patients struggling with rising costs and long waits for healthcare refunds
One regional Victorian has been out of pocket thousands of dollars despite lodging her transport claims several months ago.
Patients in Victoria are facing challenges due to rising costs and lengthy waits for healthcare reimbursements under the Victorian Patient Transport Assistance Scheme (VPTAS). The Labor and Coalition parties have each pledged $53.6 million for the program if they win the upcoming state election. The scheme aims to assist eligible Victorians who need to travel long distances for specialized medical treatment.
The proposed changes to the scheme include increasing accommodation subsidies from $45 to $125 per night and fuel reimbursements from 21 cents to 35 cents per kilometer. However, patients like Mildura woman Lara Hamilton are still grappling with reimbursement delays, with some waiting over six months for their claims to be processed.
The standard processing time for a claim is six to eight weeks, but Hamilton has experienced delays of more than six months. The current cost-of-living crisis exacerbates the situation, forcing patients to make difficult choices to save money. Health Minister Ingrid Stitt has announced measures to reduce wait times, including the launch of an online portal and additional resources for claim processing teams.
Shadow Health Minister Georgie Crozier criticized the Labor government for waiting until the election to address issues with the VPTAS, emphasizing that Victoria has the worst reimbursement options in the country.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
