Wednesday, 15 January 2025
The Nationals’ Member for Mildura, Jade Benham, has strongly criticised the continued delays in reimbursements under the Victorian Patient Transport Assistance Scheme (VPTAS), calling the situation “unacceptable.”
The VPTAS is designed to reimburse rural Victorians for accommodation and travel expenses incurred when they travel over 100 kilometres one way for specialist medical care. However, Ms Benham has highlighted a troubling breakdown in the system, with payments—officially promised within six to eight weeks—now taking several months.
“I’m hearing too often from affected residents who are enduring long waits for their travel costs to be reimbursed,” Ms. Benham said. “This delay is causing additional stress during what is already a very challenging time for people requiring specialist medical treatment.”
Adding to the concern, local assistance providers, who often pay travel costs upfront on behalf of patients while awaiting VPTAS reimbursement, are now owed substantial sums. The Sunraysia Information and Referral Service (SIRS) is currently owed $259,645.72, while Sunraysia Cancer Resources (SCR) is owed $189,247.60.
“These delays are simply unacceptable,” Ms. Benham stated. “Our community cannot afford to lose these vital local services. Yet without these funds, organisations like SIRS and SCR are at risk of having to turn patients away—a devastating prospect for those in need.”
Ms. Benham described the situation as an insult to rural and regional Victorians.
“Obtaining a specialist appointment is hard enough as it is,” she said. “With the increasing costs of living, to then have to pay upfront costs and wait months for reimbursement places an unnecessary burden on regional Victorians.
She emphasised the existing inequities in healthcare access for rural communities.
“Rural and regional Victorians already face significant disadvantages in accessing healthcare,” Ms. Benham said. “The Minister for Health must act immediately to allocate the resources necessary to process these claims promptly. People should not have to fight for access to the health services they need and are entitled to.
“Labor can’t manage health and regional Victorians are paying the price.”