Patient Subsidy Delays ‘Unacceptable’

April 23, 2018

Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington says people in the South Burnett are still waiting three months or more for their Patient Travel Subsidy (PTSS) claims to be reimbursed.

She said she recently wrote to Health Minister Steven Miles about the unacceptable wait times for PTSS reimbursements, but there was no clear reason given for the delays.

In her letter, Mrs Frecklington said she had been contacted by many constituents who have waited between
8 and 10 weeks for the reimbursement of their travel and accommodation claims, but this waiting time had now blown out to 12 weeks.

“This is an unacceptable situation. The lengthy wait times for reimbursement are affecting my most vulnerable community members, many of whom are pensioners and are undergoing treatment for cancer and other serious conditions,” Mrs Frecklington wrote.

“Many people from my community rely on the Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme to allow them to afford treatment.

“They must travel at least two hours to see a specialist or to undergo surgery as most specialist services are not available at the Kingaroy Public Hospital.

“The delays in reimbursement are causing a great deal of frustration and anxiety, and on behalf of my community, I request the following:

(a) An explanation for the lengthy wait times for PTSS subsidy claims in the South Burnett, and
(b) What strategies, if any, are being put in place to shorten the lengthy wait times.”

In his reply, Mr Miles said he had been advised  there were designated staff members at Kingaroy Hospital to process PTSS applications, and additional temporary resources had been allocated to ensure delays were minimised.

“The PTSS Reform Project within Queensland Health is implementing a range of measures to improve payment practices and timeframes for patients across Queensland,” Mr Miles wrote.

“Should your constituents have any concerns about the processing time of their applications, I encourage them to contact the Kingaroy Hospital PTSS office directly on telephone (07) 4162-9284 to obtain an update.”

Mrs Frecklington said the hospital required staff dedicated to PTSS applications to ensure the lengthy delays were fixed and would not occur again.

“The public service is ballooning, but services to the South Burnett are deteriorating. It is unacceptable that people from our region must wait so long to receive their travel claims,” Mrs Frecklington said.

Mrs Frecklington said that if anyone knew the health system inside and out, it is was Nanango resident Allen Bassett.

“Allen has been travelling to Brisbane for medical treatment for many years and he keeps me up to date with these continuing PTSS delays,” she said.

“Many people from our community rely on the Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme to allow them to afford treatment when they have to travel to Brisbane or Toowoomba.”