Legislative Council, Tuesday 18 June 2024

Ms FORREST question to LEADER of the GOVERNMENT in the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Mrs HISCUTT

1. Could you explain when the decision was made to exclude urgent allied health care, including urgent dental care, for patients from King Island using the Patient Travel Assistance Scheme who have had a prior claim for a medical appointment in the current year?

2. What is the rationale for this decision in light of the fact emergency dental services are not always available on King Island; and

3. Will it be reviewed since a number of patients on King Island have been negatively impacted?

ANSWER:
1. Prior to the review of PTAS in 2021 there was no access to allied health services under the PTAS Operational Protocol unless it was part of whole medical treatment (eg. artificial limb fitting).
When the review was undertaken, in recognition of the reduced access to allied health and preventative health services on King Island and the Furneaux Group Island, PTAS now offers two additional subsidies.

1. Extension of PTAS subsidies to facilitate access to allied health and preventative health services.
Where a patient chooses to access recognised allied health or preventative health services within 48 hours of a PTAS-eligible service, the patient and any approved escort are eligible for a PTAS accommodation subsidy for the time between the PTAS-eligible service and the recognised allied health or preventative health service.

2. PTAS subsidies to access annual allied health and preventative health services.

Where a resident of 18 years or older has not accessed a PTAS subsidy for 12 months or more, PTAS will provide travel and accommodation subsidy for one journey to the nearest recognised allied health or preventative health service. Residents may attend multiple service providers within the one journey. The journey length is capped at 72 hours.

These were not available prior to the implementation of the PTAS Operational Framework in March 2023.

Dental services are available for patients requiring emergency hospital-based management.

The following dental services are eligible for PTAS subsidies:
• Dental services for patients requiring emergency hospital-based management of:
o Severe dental trauma or oral/facial trauma
o Severe dento-facial infections, such as cellulitis
o Oral malignancy
• Dental services for patients requiring hospital-based management due to a significant medical co-morbidity or other serious condition.
• Patients that require dental treatment under general anaesthetic.

We encourage people to contact the PTAS team if they have questions. Information is also available on the PTAS website.

2. Emergency dental services are supported through PTAS. These services must be hospital-based. PTAS is an assistance scheme and not all services are covered as per the PTAS Operational Framework.

3. All feedback received will inform the post-implementation review of the PTAS Operational Framework.