IPTAS or Interstate Patient Travel Assistance Scheme

I wonder how many people in the ACT are aware of IPTAS?

IPTAS or the Interstate Patient Travel Assistance Scheme provides assistance to permanent residents of the ACT towards travel accommodation expenses incurred when referred interstate for medical treatment that is not available in the ACT.

What you need to do to avoid making any errors is to ASK your referring doctor to get a copy of the form off the web and fill in his or her bit of the form BEFORE you leave the surgery after they have made a referral!

Then take the form WITH you to wherever you have been referred AND make sure you get the doctor there to complete his or her bit of the form AND GIVE IT BACK to you.

Keep all the receipts for travel and accommodation and other expenses you incur in the process of getting medical treatment and then when you are back home, complete YOUR part of the form and send it on WITH the receipts to the contact that is listed below.

While the contact officer only works part time she is wonderfully helpful if you have any difficulties with the process, so if needed contact her!

Do NOT expect your doctor to know about this process or to tell you about it. Yes they do know but they are probably too busy to remember it all so use the old Boy Scout motto and be prepared then you can most effectively help yourself!

Full details of eligibility and allowances are in a form called IPTAS claim form and instructions - July 2007

This is available for downloading from the IPTAS site

IPTAS Guidelines 2007 provide information about the criteria and administrative requirements for the ACT Interstate Patient Travel Assistance Scheme.

In particular, it provides detailed information on:

• The eligibility criteria for ACT IPTAS
  
• The requirement to refer to the nearest treating specialist and the referral process for ACT IPTAS
  
• Situations where approval of an escort under ACT IPTAS may be appropriate, including a list of the reasons where provision of an escort may be appropriate,
  
• Situations where approval of air travel under ACT IPTAS is appropriate, including a list of reasons that may make air travel appropriate and
  
• details of the process for obtaining approval for a patient/escort to travel by air.
  
  IPTAS Guidelnes are available for downloading from the same site as the document above and of course you can contact the IPTAS administrator,

Community Health Intake,
GPO Box 825
CANBERRA CITY ACT 2601

Tel: (02) 6205 3299
Fax: (02) 6205 2611

Email: IPTAS@act.gov.au