- Queensland Health has increased the Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme (PTSS)
- The scheme’s accommodation and escort subsidy will increase by over 16 per cent to $70 per person, per night
- The fuel subsidy will rise by over 13 per cent to 34 cents a kilometre
- Since 2012-13, the government has provided approximately $850 million in travel and accommodation subsidies to Queensland patients
A travel subsidy for patients who access essential health care away from their home communities will be increased to help vulnerable Queenslanders manage cost of living pressures.
The Palaszczuk Government today announced that the recent state budget would fund an increase in the Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme (PTSS).
The patient accommodation and escort subsidy will increase by $10 per person, per night to $70 per person, per night.
The fuel subsidy will rise by 4 cents per kilometre, taking it to 34 cents per kilometre.
In 2023-24 the government has also provided funding in relation to repatriation costs for deceased patients under the PTSS to their place of residence.
The PTSS provides financial assistance mostly to rural, remote and regional Queensland who have to access essential specialist health services not available within 50km of their closest public health facility.
The scheme assists with travel and accommodation expenses.
Subsidies also exist for air, bus, ferry or rail fares for eligible patients.
Please attribute the following to Health Minister Shannon Fentiman:
“All Queenslanders deserve access to health care, no matter where they live.
“While we always aim to provide services for patients as close to their homes as possible, it’s inevitable that people will need to travel to larger centres for specialist care.
“The PTSS provides assistance to countless Queenslanders. We have provided over $700 million in travel and accommodation subsidies since 2015-16 so that patients can receive the care they require.
“Over 234,600 claims were made in 2021-22 alone, highlighting just how critical this scheme is for regional, rural and remote Queenslanders.
“We recognise there needs to be an increase in this subsidy to lessen the financial burden on people who need to access this scheme.
“With the inflation rate at approximately 7.7 per cent in 2022-23, Queenslanders are already feeling the pinch.
“We believe a 16 per cent increase in the accommodation and escort subsidy and a 13 per cent rise in the mileage subsidy will make an enormous difference.
“We know it will take some of the stress off people who need to leave their communities for specialist medical care.”
“This increase has been something that government MPs right across Queensland have pushed for, from Bundaberg and the Fraser Coast, right up to the Cape and Torres Strait – I want to thank our passionate and hard-working MPs for securing this win.”
