Melanoma Trust director Annette St Clair has backed Wagga MP Joe McGirr's call to review support for isolated patients, saying some Riverina skin cancer sufferers are near bankruptcy over treatment-related costs.
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Dr McGirr last week successfully moved a motion in NSW Parliament seeking to improve the Isolated Patients Travel and Accommodation Assistance Scheme (IPTAAS) that provides financial support for rural residents seeking medical treatment away from home.
Dr McGirr told Parliament on Tuesday last week that too few patients knew about the scheme, that it involved too many online applications and provided as little as $40 per night.
"The fact of the matter is the process is complicated. I had feedback from a professional in Wagga who is used to form filling, case management, file keeping and good communication, and they found the application process incredibly difficult," Dr McGirr said.
"They said, 'Imagine what it's like for those with language or technological barriers'."
Mrs St Clair set up the Melanoma Trust in Wagga in honour of her daughter Amie, who died in 2009 at the age of 23 after a three year battle with the disease.
"[Applying for IPTAAS] can be quite time-consuming setting it up and it can be a bit overwhelming. Our melanoma nurse helps a lot of people fill out the forms."
Mrs St Clair said Riverina patients were facing out-of-pocket costs of up to $1000 or more for short trips for treatment.
"It's a huge financial outlay for people. If you have a child with a cancer or a chronic illness you could be in Sydney for months," she said.
"The financial outlay could nearly bankrupt you, it's huge and if you are giving up your job to be with your family member you'd have no income.
"It does need to be reviewed, the process of applying needs to be it easier for people to get that rebate and the amount needs to be higher."
Dr McGirr told Parliament the (IPTAAS) system needed an urgent review as the rebate payment rates had not changed since 2015.
Dr McGirr's motion was supported by another independent MP from the Riverina, Helen Dalton, as well as Liberal Albury MP Justin Clancy.
In response to Dr McGirr's motion, a spokesperson for the Minister for Regional Health Bronnie Taylor said the government regularly reviews services in response to changing needs and demand.
"Regional health is a priority for the NSW government and all options are on the table when it comes to improving health outcomes for people in rural and regional NSW," the spokesperson said.
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