Patients in regional Victoria reliant on the Victorian Patient Transport Assistance Scheme (VPTAS) report extended delays of up to six months in receiving reimbursements for travel and accommodation costs related to specialist medical treatment. This comes despite official processing times of six to eight weeks touted by the Department of Health.
Lara Hamilton, a claimant cited by ABC News, said, “I lodge paper forms and it’s taking an excess of six months for any type of reimbursement. If you’re lucky, you may receive an email approximately four months post-lodgement.” These delays exacerbate the financial strain on patients who must travel long distances for essential care.
Current VPTAS rules offer 21 cents per kilometre for private car travel and up to $45 per night for accommodation. However, this subsidy was never intended to cover all expenses. According to Health.vic, claims are usually processed within six to eight weeks, with claims to be lodged within 12 months of the treatment date.
The Victorian government has proposed increasing subsidies to ease this burden. Labor promises to raise fuel reimbursements to 35 cents per kilometre and accommodation subsidies to a flat $125 per night, pending implementation from July 1, 2027. The VPTAS Alliance, supported by the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM), welcomed this $53.6 million investment.
Health Minister Ingrid Stitt acknowledged the delays, stating at a media briefing, “We’ve also put some additional resources into the team that process those claims because we do want to see people get reimbursed a lot quicker. We don’t want people to have to worry about money as well as everything else that they’re dealing with.”
Cancer Council Victoria CEO, Todd Harper, highlighted the wider impact, saying, “For too long, regional and rural Victorians have faced significant out-of-pocket costs simply because they need to travel to access essential medical care.” Similarly, Stroke Foundation CEO Dr Lisa Murphy said the subsidy increase would make a tangible difference for patients spending weeks away from home accessing life-saving treatment.
While promises to boost financial support offer hope, many patients still face uncertainty due to reimbursement delays. The full extent of the backlog and whether recent efforts to improve claim processing have significantly reduced wait times remain unverified.
Cape Flats News will monitor developments and report on the government’s implementation progress and any improvements in processing times.