
Patient travel subsidy scheme
The Patient Travel Assistance Scheme (PTAS) helps you pay for travel and/or accommodation costs if you:
- are a Tasmanian permanent resident
- cannot attend specialist medical services locally.
This is an assistance scheme only and patients are expected to make a patient contribution.
Learn more about Patient Travel Assistance Scheme (PTAS) on the travel support page.
Financial assistance for travelling within Tasmania
- We can help you pay some costs towards for approved air and road travel, and accommodation
- You can make your own plans and claim the subsidy back. Subsidy is the portion of money we cover.
- You can also ask your local PTAS Coordinator to pre-book your travel and/or accommodation.
- We also cover some of the costs if you need someone to travel with you. This person is called an escort.
How much we will pay
- The cost of return economy bus tickets or petrol costs for private vehicle travel to and from the medical facility. The petrol costs that we cover are 21 cents per kilometre.
- If you live on King Island or the Furneaux Islands, we will cover the cost of a return economy airfare (Island Resident rates). We also pay for the most economical and appropriate form of transport from the destination airport to and from the medical facility.
- If you need accommodation, we will pay a maximum of $66 per night for each approved person.
Financial assistance for travelling outside of Tasmania
- We can help you pay for air/sea and road travel, and some accommodation.
- Your local PTAS Coordinator will make your bookings.
How much we will pay
- If you live more than 75 km from the airport/ ferry terminal, we will help you pay for costs to travel between your home and your departure point.
- Your air/ferry ticket will be paid at economy class.
- We also pay for the most economical and appropriate form of transport from the destination airport/ferry terminal to and from the medical facility.
- If you need accommodation, we will pay a maximum of $66 per night for each approved person.
How much you will pay for your travel and accommodation
Travel
- You will pay $82.50 towards the cost of each return journey.
- If you have a Health Care or Pensioner Concession card, you will pay $16.50 towards the cost of each return journey.
- In any one financial year (between 1 July and 30 June), the maximum contribution for a non-cardholder is $330, and for a cardholder is $132.
- You and anyone approved to travel with you must pay additional costs if you choose a more expensive form of transport than that approved.
Accommodation
- You and the person approved to travel with must pay any accommodation costs above the rate that we pay outlined above.
- If you don’t have a Health Care or Pensioner Concession card, you must pay the first two nights’ accommodation costs for each stay for you and anyone travelling with you.
Frequently asked questions
We may help you pay if:
- transport to and from the health facility is not possible in the same day
- your specialist doctor advises you to stay
- there are limited air services to King Island or Furneaux Islands
- approval has been granted to extend your stay by one or two days to attend other approved health appointments.
No.
- We can help cover the costs of someone to travel with you if you are under the age of 18 years. This person is called an escort.
- If you are aged 18 years or over, an escort may be eligible for financial assistance if you need them to actively assist you during your travel or treatment.
- Approval may be given for financial assistance for more than one escort in some exceptional circumstances. Please contact your local PTAS Coordinator to discuss.
If you think you may have problems, please contact your local PTAS Coordinator to discuss.
- If you are unable to pay up-front, please contact your local PTAS office to discuss alternative options.
- Some accommodation providers agree to receive the PTAS accommodation allowance directly from us. This means you only pay the extra amount when you check out.
- Some accommodation providers offer a special daily or weekly rate especially for patients and their carers. Find out more from your local PTAS office.
- If you think you may have problems, please contact your local PTAS office to discuss.
- You will be required to prove that you are in financial difficulty.
- If your claim for hardship consideration is accepted, you will not be refused to access PTAS.
No. We encourage you to access the service in Tasmania.
- Yes. You are entitled to two weeks’ accommodation support prior to the birth of your baby.
- If you have a complicated pregnancy or need medical support before you give birth, you may be able to get more help.
- We will help you pay some of your travel cost based on a return economy airfare (Island Resident rates)
- We will also help you pay for the most economical, appropriate form of transport from the destination airport to and from the medical facility.
- Yes. The donor and recipient are both eligible for the travel and accommodation subsidy.
- You can also have someone travel with you. This person is called an escort.
- We will pay for some of your escort’s accommodation from the night prior to the operation until you are cleared to return home.
- We will only pay for one journey to a medical appointment.
- If you are unable to travel on a pre-paid journey, you must tell us and cancel at least 24-hours in advance.
- If you miss the appointment without good reason or do not provide adequate notice, you are not eligible for a second trip unless there are exceptional circumstances.
Yes, if:
- a hospital admission for an elective procedure has been postponed
- a specialist appointment is cancelled or postponed
- you are not notified until after commencing the journey.
In these cases, we will provide the level of financial assistance allowable towards the cost of your travel.
- If your medical specialist requests a further opinion, you may receive the appropriate travel allowance and, if necessary, an accommodation allowance. This will help you travel to and from the second appointment.
- If you choose to seek a further medical opinion, you are not eligible for travel assistance.
- Your doctor will provide you with the PTAS application form and complete Section A.
- Submit your completed form to your local PTAS Coordinator as soon as possible. This allows time for your application to be assessed before you make your bookings.
- It is important to note that submitting your application form does not mean you will be approved.
- If you need to travel urgently, please contact the PTAS Coordinator directly for approval and to organise travel arrangements.
- On your return, please complete the application form and submit it to the PTAS Coordinator together with your receipts.
Please lodge your claim to be repaid with all paperwork within four months of returning from your treatment.
We pay you by bank transfer. You can provide your details on your application form.
You should expect to receive your money within four weeks of lodging your receipts.