The Patient Assistance Transport Scheme (PATS)
The Patient Assistance Transport Scheme (PATS) is a government-funded subsidy program that supports South Australians who need to travel long distances for essential medical specialist care. Administered by the Rural Support Service within SA Health and delivered through the six regional local health networks, PATS provides financial assistance for travel and, in some cases, accommodation for eligible patients.
To be eligible for PATS subsidies, you need to:
• be a permanent South Australian resident • be enrolled in Medicare and receive treatment claimable through Medicare
• be travelling more than 100km from your residence to your appointment or treatment location, not locally available
• have an appointment with, or receive treatment from the nearest recognised medical specialist or approved medical specialist service (unless there is a valid medical reason for bypassing this service, in which case your referring doctor must complete Part B of the application form)
• have claimed any available benefits from a private health fund first (if applicable), and not receive, or be eligible for, financial assistance for travel and accommodation through another provider
• Claims must be submitted within 6 months of appointment date with receipts for fuel/accommodation A couple of factors for families to consider when navigating the system;
• If the specialist you see is not the closest visiting provider, speak with them to determine whether they can contact PATS to outline the medical reasons for continuing your care with them.
• If you require multiple appointments to the same specialist (i.e. ongoing treatments), you can submit several claims on the one form, reducing the need for an individual application each time. Download Form 2 – Block Treatments
• Claims can be submitted through the portal online/posted
Contact & Info: Website: www.pats.sa.gov.au
Phone: 1300 341 684
*If denied access to PATS for any reason, please contact SA ICPA State Council as this provides further information in their efforts in actioning a motion presented at the 2025 State Conference.
