TRAVELLING PATIENTS NEED BETTER SUPPORT: NATS

Sufferers of chronic illness need realistic reimbursement for travel costs associated with their poor health, according to The Nationals.

Gippsland MP Peter Hall has called on the Minister for Health to review the compensation available to patients who are required to travel for specialist medical attention.

Mr Hall believes that the existing allowance rates, set in 2003, are unrealistic given that the levels are not adjusted according to the consumer price index.

Mr Hall raised the matter in Parliament last week, saying: "Assistance is provided at the rate of 14 cents per kilometre traveled and just $30 if your specialist treatment requires you to stay overnight.

"Given the price of petrol today, the cost of travelling for people with chronic illnesses - who need to do so to seek specialist treatment - is very significant."

Mr Hall is also concerned that the eligibility for assistance under the Victorian patient transport assistance scheme needs urgent re-evaluation.

"To qualify for assistance under this scheme you need to be a Victorian resident residing in a Department of Human Services rural region," he said. "Secondly, you need to have a referral for specialist services and travel more than 100 km one way to receive specialist treatment.

"If you are not a pensioner or health care card holder, you are required to pay the first $100 of any claim under the scheme yourself. The cost of treatment for somebody with a chronic illness is expensive whether or not you are a pensioner or health care card holder."

Mr Hall has requested that the Minister of Health review both the allowances paid and eligibility for assistance, to reflect actual travel and accommodation costs for people who suffer from chronic illness.

Mr Hall raised the matter after receiving complaints from constituents concerned that the value of the assistance had been severely eroded, particularly with the price of petrol increasing.

Media contact: Peter Hall (03) 5174 7066