Patient travel allowance increased

The Health Minister, Tony Ryall has announced an increase in the mileage allowance that patients can claim under the National Travel Assistance (NTA) policy - the first increase in 20 years.

The long-standing NTA policy is for patients who are referred by a specialist to another specialist and the patient has to travel long distances, or travel frequently, for appointments.

Mr Ryall said, "The amount that patients can claim under the scheme hasn't been reviewed for more than 20 years, so I'm pleased to be announcing an increase, from 20 cents to 28 cents per kilometre.

"The maximum accommodation rate for eligible clients has also been increased to $100 per night for all of New Zealand.

"We know that these increases will not cover all the actual costs of travel and accommodation for patients. The NTA support has always been a help rather than a reimbursement. But in tough financial times every bit extra will help, especially for people who have health issues that are not easy to manage close to home," Mr Ryall said.

Information about who is eligible for travel assistance is available from the Ministry of Health's website, www.moh.govt.nz under Travel in the A-Z section.