PATS eligibility

The Patient Assisted Travel Scheme (PATS) provides financial subsidies to eligible country WA residents.

PATS assistance is only available for travel to the nearest appropriate eligible public or private specialist.

Being ineligible for PATS does not prevent any person from arranging or attending their appointments independently.

 

To be eligible for PATS you must

  • Be a permanent resident of a WA Country Health Service region.
    • This includes the Goldfields, Great Southern, Kimberley, Midwest, Pilbara, South West and Wheatbelt.
    • If you live in the Peel region, on Christmas or Cocos (Keeling) Islands, or interstate – see other contacts section on the PATS contact page for more information.
  • Be travelling to attend an eligible health service more than 100km (one way) from your residence.
    • Limited assistance is available if you are required to travel between 70 and 100km (one way) for renal or cancer treatment (see section on PATS subsidies page).
    • If the nearest appropriate specialist appointment is available by telehealth and the appointment is more than 100 kilometres away, assistance will be provided to attend that appointment.
    • Distance is calculated using the most direct route from your permanent town centre to the commercial business district (CBD) of the treatment centre you are visiting.
    • You may be eligible for additional subsidies if your residential address is more than 30km from your town centre.

  • Be eligible for Medicare.
  • Be receiving treatment from an eligible specialist for an eligible health service – see drop-downs below for more information.

You are not eligible for PATS if you do not meet all the above criteria, or you are:

  • Travelling to the treatment centre for another reason, such as for a holiday or to visit friends and then need specialist treatment.
  • Fly-in-fly-out (FIFO), working temporarily and/or visiting a WA regional area, but permanently live elsewhere.
  • A student boarding for school or university and require medical treatment while living in the treatment centre (such as Perth). Note, a parent may be eligible for escort assistance to visit their child in the treatment centre (for example if a child is in hospital and requires an adult to make decisions).
  • Eligible for alternative forms of assistance, such as through the Department of Veteran Affairs, workers compensation or other insurance, such as travel insurance.
  • In custody (jail).
  • Choosing to travel to a health service that is available locally, including if that service is public, private or available via telehealth.

To be eligible for PATS, you must meet the patient eligibility criteria and be attending one of the following services:

  • Most Medicare-eligible specialist medical services (see below).
  • Oral maxillofacial surgery, including the management of facial trauma, such as a jaw fracture, serious dento-facial infections and oral malignancy (cancer). This does not include wisdom teeth removal, even if performed by an oral and maxillofacial specialist.
  • Audiology appointments related to cochlear implants or an infant hearing test if they were not performed at birth or if an abnormality was detected and follow up is required (this does not include general hearing tests or hearing aids).
  • Next Step or equivalent medical specialist supported inpatient treatment for addiction (travel subsidy only).
  • Rehabilitation medicine.
  • Complex wheelchair assessment and review.
  • Cleft lip and cleft palate treatment listed in the Medicare Benefits Schedule.
  • Radiological services not available locally (if Medicare-approved).

Some treatments where a specialist may not be present during the appointment are eligible for assistance, including:

  • Medical imaging, mammography
  • Refractive surgical eye procedures
  • Fitting of artificial eyes or prostheses

What is a specialist medical service?

A specialist medical service is defined as treatment from an eligible medical specialist practitioner.

An eligible medical specialist is a medical practitioner who:

  • Is registered with Medicare Australia as a specialist.
  • Is registered with AHPRA as a specialist within the field of the patient’s appointment.
  • Is employed as a specialist by a hospital or health service, including doctors in training.

The list of recognised specialist services within Australia is listed in the Schedule 1 of the Health Insurance Regulations 2018 (Commonwealth).

PATS does not differentiate between public or private medical specialists and does not differentiate between face-to-face consultations and telehealth consultations.

The following are not eligible for PATS:

  • Treatment in an emergency department, unless referred to see a specialist in the emergency department
  • Non-specialist medical treatment, including treatment by a general practitioner or nursing services
  • Services provided by a general practitioner at a skin clinic
  • Second opinions, unless requested by the treating medical specialist
  • Consultations required for legal purposes or educational support services
  • Cosmetic surgery and complementary health treatments (for example, acupuncture or herbal therapy)
  • Residential care services
  • Pathology, unless referred by a treating haematologist or immunologist
  • Services related to surrogacy arrangements
  • Workplace medical assessments
  • Any procedures on the WA Department of Health Excluded Procedures List

The following specialist allied health services are now eligible for PATS subsidies:

  • Selected specialist clinics delivered by tertiary public health service providers (Fiona Stanley Hospital, King Edward Memorial Hospital, Perth Children’s Hospital, Royal Perth Hospital and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital).
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) assessment delivered by the Neurodevelopment Disability Assessment Service (NDAS).

See the full list of eligible specialist allied health services for more information.

Public or private allied health services meeting the following criteria may require additional supporting evidence. These include:

  • Audiology appointments related to cochlear implants
  • Audiology appointments related to infant hearing tests for children under 12-months old (excluding general hearing test or hearing aids)
  • Complex wheelchair assessment and review
  • Prosthetic limb assessment, fitting and review

Trips that involve an allied health and medical specialist appointment

If a patient is attending a related allied health appointment on the same trip as an eligible medical specialist appointment, they may be able to apply for two extra nights of accommodation. In this situation, the allied health appointment does not need to meet the PATS allied health eligibility criteria.

Selected specialist dental clinics delivered by tertiary public health service providers (Fiona Stanley Hospital, King Edward Memorial Hospital, Perth Children’s Hospital, Royal Perth Hospital and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital) are now eligible for PATS travel subsidies.

See the full list of eligible specialist dental services for more information.

Public or private dental services meeting the following criteria may require additional supporting evidence.

  • Hospital-based services under general anaesthetic and one or more of the following criteria:
    • Medical comorbidities
    • Special needs*
    • Aged 0-16 at the Oral Health Centre of WA
  • Treatment provided under the Cleft Lip and Palate Scheme (Medicare Benefits Scheme – Category 7)
  • Oral biopsy with a risk of cancer

The WA Health Public Dental Service defines special needs as:

  • Having a developmental, physical, and/or intellectual disability and are unlikely to tolerate treatment in a mainstream service
  • Having a Legal Guardian appointed
  • Having critical impairments of:
    • Oral motor deficits (e.g. swallowing difficultures or reduced oral musculature control)
    • Behavioural issues (unable to sit in the dental chair)
    • Cognitive issues (unable to follow instructions/directions or unable to verbalise pain presentation)
  • Requires extensive support or assistance for their day-to-day living needs.

The following dental services are not eligible for PATS:

  • General dental or orthodontic services
  • Wisdom teeth extraction, even if general anaesthetic or sedation is required or performed by an oral and maxillofacial specialist.
  • Orthodontic treatment (braces)
  • Non-surgical temporo-mandibular (jaw) joint treatment
  • Implant surgery or crown and bridge treatment
  • Endodontics (root canal therapy)
  • Periodontal (gum) surgery or treatment
  • Routine oral medicine services
  • Imaging provided as part of general dental care
Last Updated: 30/06/2026