Expanded Isolated Patients Travel and Accommodation Assistance Scheme

Have you heard of Isolated Patients Travel and Accommodation Assistance Scheme (IPTAAS)? It’s a NSW Government scheme which provides financial assistance available to people in regional communities who need to travel long distances to receive specialist care.

As of 1 August 2022, the IPTAAS has expanded subsidies and eligibility, such that 4,572 new patients have taken advantage of the increased financial assistance to date.

Accommodation assistance is now paid at a rate of:

• $40 per night if you are staying with family or friends (Airbnb will be paid at this rate)
• $75 per night if you are staying in not-for-profit or commercial accommodation for the first seven nights and $120 per night from day eight onwards.
• The private vehicle subsidy rate also increased to 40c per kilometre.

Patients attending high-risk foot clinics, non-commercial clinical trials, highly specialised publicly funded oral health clinics in NSW and ocularists are now eligible to claim.

Financial assistance remains the same for:

• the full cost (including booking fees) of public transport is reimbursed less the GST
• the full economy cost less GST is reimbursed for approved air travel
• taxi subsidy that is based on length of appointments/treatment.

The NSW Government is launching a comprehensive awareness campaign to promote the benefits of the expanded scheme, which will include flyers, fact sheets, an updated website and social media posts targeting existing, new and potential patients and their families and carers.

You can learn more here: https://www.iptaas.health.nsw.gov.au/.

• Topics:

• Health & Wellbeing
• Travel