Patient Assistance Travel Scheme

The Patient Assistance Travel Scheme (PATS) provides financial support to eligible Northern Territory (NT) residents who need to travel for specialist medical care that isn't available where they live.

The subsidy helps with travel and accommodation costs but won't cover everything. Eligible people will need to pay any costs that are higher than the subsidy amount.

PATS supports eligible residents wherever they live in the NT.

Who can apply

You can apply if you:

• are an Australian citizen
• are a permanent resident who has lived in the NT for at least 6 months
• are registered with Medicare and have, or be eligible for a current Medicare card
• have a current referral to the nearest approved specialist medical service in the NT
• live more than 75km away from the nearest approved specialist in the NT
• need to travel more than 250km in one week for renal or oncology treatment
• are not receiving, and are not eligible to receive travel or accommodation assistance from a third-party insurance or other Australian Government services.

You can't apply if:

• you are an overseas visitor undertaking a journey to or from Australia
• you are an interstate visitor on holidays or business and normally live outside of the NT
• you fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) of the NT for work
• you can claim costs covered by a third party, such as Worksafe, Department of Veterans' Affairs or motor vehicle compensation
• you are not registered with Medicare and do not have a Medicare card.

More information

For more information, read the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme (PATS) NTH handbook PDF (1.2 MB)

If you meet the eligibility criteria, you can travel to the nearest specialist medical service in the NT.

Covered services include:

• diagnostic
• medicine
• surgery
• maternal and child health
• oncology
• pharmacology.

You must be referred to a specialist medical service at one of the 5 public hospitals. This referral allows you to attend a consultation or receive treatment from an NT public specialist.

For a full list of the specialist services, read the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme NTH handbook PDF (1.2 MB)

Applications for PATS must be submitted by an authorised, registered healthcare provider.

This includes:

• general practitioners (GP) working in private practices, community health centres, or clinics
• approved nurse managers, practitioners and clinical staff working in rural and remote communities
• dental practitioners - referring patients for dental fitness or trauma.

Referral to an NT specialist

Your referral must be:

• current
• completed by an authorised, registered healthcare provider, such as:
  • a general or dental practitioner
  • an approved remote nurse manager or practitioner

The referral must be to the:

• nearest eligible specialist medical service in the NT. This may be:
  • one of the NT public hospitals
  • a visiting specialist
  • a service provided through Telehealth.

Referral to an interstate specialist

To be eligible for PATS assistance, an interstate referral must be made by a public specialist based in the NT.

The specialist must justify why you need treatment outside of the NT.

PATS assistance is not available if you are referred directly to an interstate specialist without first being assessed by a public NT specialist.

If you attend an NT specialist appointment and are advised that further treatment is not available in the NT, you may be referred to a visiting specialist or an interstate specialist service.

Arranging travel

A patient travel officer will usually book your travel and accommodation. However, you can choose to make your own travel arrangements and claim reimbursement after your treatment and travel is completed.

If you arrange your own travel,  you must:

• pay all travel related costs upfront
• provide proof of payment when claiming reimbursement from the Patient Travel Office.

You can't claim reimbursement for flights or accommodation paid for using frequent flyer points or any other loyalty points, including employment benefit schemes.

Refer to the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme (PATS) NTH handbook PDF (1.2 MB)

Find out what you can claim for.

• bus travel -  reimbursed at the ‘best fare of the day’
• ground transport - taxi, public transport or rideshare such as Uber - reimbursed at $50 per trip
• private vehicle travel - fuel reimbursed at 40 cents per kilometre per patient based on pre-determined distances
• air travel - reimbursed at ‘best fare of the day’ including return flights
• accommodation - reimbursed 'per person per night' at the following rates:
  • Aboriginal hostel limited accommodation $60
  • commercial accommodation $90
  • non-for-profit organisations $60
  • private accommodation, staying with friends and family $20.

For more information, read the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme (PATS) NTH handbook PDF (1.2 MB)

An escort is someone who travels with you to help you during your treatment.

You may need and escort if you need care or support because of a disability or medical condition.

Your referring practitioner will decide if you need an escort.

To be eligible, an escort must be:

• at least 18 years of age
• a resident of the NT - evidence of residency may be needed
• able to travel with you to and from your appointment
• able to provide essential physical, emotional and practical support
• be considered necessary for your care.

Individuals known to display anti-social behaviour or those who appear on banned accommodation lists, will not be considered or approved as an escort.

Refer to the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme (PATS) NTH Handbook PDF (1.2 MB)

Reimbursement claims for Patient Assistance Travel Scheme (PATS) must be submitted within 3 months following your:

• travel
• last specialist appointment
• treatment
• discharge date.

To claim reimbursement and receive payment, you must provide the Patient Travel Office with your travel documents and receipts or invoices so your claim can be checked and processed.

Documents you will need

You must provide the following documents:

• vendor creation or amendment form - contact Patient Travel Office
• specialist certification form - completed and signed by the treating specialist
• tax invoices and receipts for travel, accommodation and fuel.

Refer to the Patient Assistance Travel Scheme (PATS) NTH handbook PDF (1.2 MB)

For more information about PATS financial assistance and support, contact our team on the details below.