Health

Subsidised emergency, general and denture services* are available to adults** who have:

• An eligible concession card.
• A DVA Veteran Card and meet specific criteria (contact DVA on 1800 838 272 to find out more).

* Waiting lists may apply for subsidised general and denture services.

** Adults listed as a partner (dependent) on a Services Australia Concession Card may be eligible for services, please contact Oral Health Services Tasmania to confirm eligibility for services.

For more information:

Oral Health Services Tasmania
Phone: 1300 011 013
Web: www.health.tas.gov.au

Free dental checks, preventive care and treatment are available to all children (0-17 years) under the Medicare Child Dental Benefits Schedule (where a bulk billing consent form is signed). Otherwise, a subsidised service is available to children under 18 years.

Some exceptions apply.

For more information:

Oral Health Services Tasmania
Phone: 1300 011 013
Web: www.health.tas.gov.au

Equipment is available for people who have been clinically assessed as having a sleep-related breathing disorder requiring a positive airways pressure machine.

Please consult your medical specialist.

Eligibility:

• Have a prescription from a sleep specialist.
• An eligible concession card.

For more information:

Department of Health
Phone:
General enquiries: 1300 135 513
Royal Hobart Hospital Department of Respiratory Medicine: 6166 8438
Launceston General Hospital Respiratory Unit: 6777 6708
Email (South): rhh.respiratory@ths.tas.gov.au

Subsidised nutrition is available when a person:

• Holds an eligible concession card.
• Is assessed by a dietitian.

Eligibility for a referral to another service

Referral to another service for subsidised nutrition is available to people who:

• Are eligible for compensation (MAIB workers compensation or any common law compensation), or where compensation payment has been made that includes future nutritional support.
• Are receiving financial assistance from any other government-funded organisation or program (including DVA Veteran Gold).
• Have a funding package through an aged care provider (if their plan includes nutritional support).
• Live in a residential facility, accommodation service or private hospital whose funding arrangements include nutritional support.
• Hold a NDIS plan that includes nutritional support.
• Are registered with the Closing the Gap program.

For more information:

Department of Health
Phone:
Royal Hobart Hospital: 6166 8145
Launceston General Hospital:  6777 6477
North-West Regional Hospital: 6493 6467

Oxygen supplies are available to patients assessed by a specialist doctor as needing oxygen therapy.

Please consult your medical specialist.

The assessment needs to be approved by the Department of Respiratory Medicine at the Royal Hobart or Launceston General hospitals.

For more information:

Department of Health

Phone:
General enquiries: 1300 135 513
Royal Hobart Hospital, Department of Respiratory Medicine: 6166 7353
Launceston General Hospital, Respiratory Unit: 6777 6708
Email (South): rhh.respiratory@ths.tas.gov.au

Financial assistance may be available for Tasmanians required to:

• travel more than 75 kilometres one way to access specialised health care services not available locally, or
• travel more than 50 kilometres one way to access the nearest cancer or dialysis treatment centre.

Patient travel assistance is not available for those eligible for assistance from other sources (such as MAIB, workers compensation, DVA, private health insurance, or NDIS).

Levels of assistance reflect the distance, type of travel and accommodation required.

Patient contribution towards travel

Patient contribution towards the cost of travel is $82.50 per trip and capped at $330 per financial year. Patient contribution towards the cost of travel is waived for eligible concession card holders.

For more information:

Department of Health

Patient Travel South

Phone: 6166 8225

Email: ptasrhh@ths.tas.gov.au

Patient Travel North

Phone: 6777 6249

Email: lgh.patient.travel@ths.tas.gov.au

Patient Travel North-West

Phone: 6477 7734

Email: nw.ptas@ths.tas.gov.au

Web: www.health.tas.gov.au/hospital/ptas

For more information on eligibility criteria and available subsidies download the PTAS Patient Guidelines at www.health.tas.gov.au/hospital/ptas

Concessions are available on medications dispensed to patients discharged from hospital, outpatients attending the emergency department, or hospital outpatient clinics in public hospitals.

Medicare Card holders are entitled to receive medications at a maximum cost of $31.60* per prescription item. A maximum of $7.70* per prescription item is available to:

• Eligible concession card holders.
• PBS Safety Net Concessions Card issued by a pharmacy.

Holders of a PBS Safety Net Entitlement Card will not be charged for their medication.

*These amounts are adjusted in line with inflation by the Australian Government on 1 January each year.

For more information:

Department of Health
Phone:
Royal Hobart Hospital: 6166 6700
Launceston General Hospital: 6777 6728
North-West Regional Hospital: 6493 6280
Mersey Community Hospital: 6478 5229

TasEquip is a Department of Health Service that provides a range of equipment to eligible Tasmanians to help them with everyday tasks at home.

The aim is to help people who:

• Live independently at home.
• Transition home after acute care.

The equipment must be prescribed by the authorised therapist/prescriber. Some of the common equipment available for eligible clients includes, but it not limited to, shower chairs, walking aids, adjustable height seats, hoists, wheelchairs, and electric wheelchairs.

To be eligible, a person needs to meet all the following criteria:

• Live in Tasmania (for at least 3 months).
• Hold an eligible concession card.
• Live in the community and not in residential aged care.
• Be ineligible for a Home Care Package level 3 or 4, workers compensation, MAIB, DVA* or NDIS.
  • * Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) Health Card holders should contact DVA to check their potential eligibility.

TasEquip is designed to support people who do not have alternative funding sources. Clients are ineligible for TasEquip if they Home Care Package level 3 or 4, workers compensation, MAIB, DVA or NDIS.

DVA cardholders are encouraged to contact DVA on 1800 838 372 to find out more.

For more information:

TasEquip -  Phone 1300 827 387

South
Phone: 6166 7393
Email: southtasequip@ths.tas.gov.au 

North
Phone: 6777 4336
Email: nthtasequip@ths.tas.gov.au 

North-West
Phone:  6478 5599
Email: nwtasequip@ths.tas.gov.au 

Web: www.health.tas.gov.au

Financial assistance is available for the purchase of glasses for pre-school aged children and adults. Low vision aids, prostheses and intraocular implants are subsidised up to $436.05 per item.

Eligibilty:

• A permanent Tasmanian resident for at least three continuous months prior to application (refugees not required to satisfy this criteria).
• Able to satisfy the means test.
• An eligible concession card.
• Low income earners under hardship provisions.
• Persons not able to claim from private health insurance, workers compensation or any other source.

This subsidy does not cover school aged children; however, they may be eligible for assistance from the Department for Education, Children and Young People. Refer to Education - Spectacles Assistance in this Guide for further information.

Note: People who can claim from private health insurance, workers’ compensation or any other source are not eligible to apply.

To apply visit the website for an application form. Complete and send with the prescription to the Statewide Spectacles Scheme.

For more information:

Spectacles Assistance Scheme, Department of Health 
Phone: 1800 232 148
Web: Eyes and vision (Ophthalmology) | Tasmanian Department of Health

Financial assistance is available to cancer and alopecia patients who are referred by a doctor and have a:

• An eligible concession card.
• DVA Veterans Card and meet specific criteria (contact DVA on 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372) for more information.

For more information:

Department of Health
Phone:

Royal Hobart Hospital: 6166 8308
Launceston General Hospital: 6777 6477
Devonport Community Health & Service Centre: 6478 6119

Financial assistance is available to people requiring compression garments to help manage lymphoedema and who have one of the following:

• Services Australia Pensioner Concession Card
• Services Australia Health Care Card.
• DVA Veterans Card and meet specific criteria (contact DVA on 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372).

For more information:

Department of Health
Phone:
Royal Hobart Hospital, Physiotherapy: 6166 8634
Royal Hobart Hospital, Occupational Therapy: 6166 8314
Launceston General Hospital, Physiotherapy: 6777 6216
North-West Regional Hospital, Physiotherapy: 6493 6250
Email:
(South) rhh.physiotheraphy@ths.tas.gov.au
(North) lgh.ahs@ths.tas.gov.au
(North-West) burnie.physio@ths.tas.gov.au

A reduced contribution charge for orthotic and prosthetic services is provided to eligible people whose costs are not met by other organisations such as MAIB, workers compensation, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs or the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

To access the service, clients must have a current referral from either a GP, an allied health professional or a medical specialist.

Those eligible for a reduced contribution include holders of one of the following:

• Services Australia or DVA* Pensioner Concession Card
• Services Australia Health Care Card.

* where DVA cardholders are not eligible under another scheme.

For more information:

Department of Health
Phone:

Orthotic Prosthetic Services Tasmania

(South): 6166 7377
(North): 6777 8562
(North-West): 6493 6272
Email: opst.tas@ths.tas.gov.au
Web: www.health.tas.gov.au