Related sites

Victorian Patient Transport Assistance Scheme (VPTAS)

Page contents: Complaint Handling and Review Policy | VPTAS Koori Pilot |New processing arrangements

The Victorian Patient Transport Assistance Scheme (VPTAS) subsidises the travel and accommodation costs incurred by rural Victorians and if appropriate, their escorts, who have no option but to travel a long distance to receive approved medical specialist services.

A Complaint Handling and Review Policy for VPTAS

The VPTAS Complaint Handling and Review Policy has been developed to enhance the Department’s responsiveness to clients, and ensure a common approach to managing complaints and requests for review of VPTAS claims. The aim of the new process is to provide VPTAS clients with an accessible and responsive complaint and review handling system that is easy to use. The complaints and review policy applies to all clients who claim for reimbursement under the VPTAS scheme, including individuals, accommodation providers, travel providers and other third parties.

VPTAS Koori Pilot – outcomes of the review

The VPTAS Koori Pilot was launched in 2006 with a view to improving the outcomes for Indigenous Victorians through the provision of up front VPTAS assistance at a small number of metropolitan hospitals in Melbourne.

Under the pilot, Indigenous patients that were assessed as eligible for VPTAS could be provided with the funds that they would be for under VPTAS as the time of treatment, rather than seeking a reimbursement through the VPTAS process. It was agreed that the pilot would be reviewed to determine its effectiveness.

An internal review of the Koori Pilot has been completed recently. It has found that the program has assisted Koori patients and their escorts with the costs of travel and accommodation and may have led to some health improvements for these patients, in particular those who attend those participating hospitals on a regular basis. It also found, however, that there are a number of issues that have limited the success of the pilot program, in particular its limited roll out, the low level of awareness and understanding of the program, and the claims processing arrangements.

The report recommends that the pilot program be continued and, where possible, expanded to additional health services. It also identifies a number of improvements to the scheme to better meet its intended objectives of improving the health outcomes for the Koori population.

Over the coming months the Department will be working with participating health services to improve the administration of the scheme and continue to raise awareness of the scheme.

For copies of the review and to discuss the outcomes of the Koori pilot please contact Tanya Sewards on (03) 9096 2005 or email tanya.sewards@health.vic.gov.au

New processing arrangements

From 1 July 2010 a single state-wide VPTAS office will be established in Ballarat.  This office will be responsible for handling all VPTAS claims.

All claim forms can now be sent to:

Victorian VPTAS Office
PO Box 712
Ballarat VIC 3350

If you have any questions about VPTAS or to enquire about your claim please contact the Victorian VPTAS office

Telephone: (61 3) 5333 6040
Toll-free: 1300 737 073

Claim forms can still be obtained from, and submitted to your regional DH office. 

top of page