Rural Tasmanian women will receive travel subsidies to access breast cancer screening after water damage forced a mobile screening bus off the road earlier this year.
The state government has set up a temporary reimbursement scheme for patients who would normally have been screened on ‘Luna’, which was decommissioned in April.
Women travelling more than 50 kilometres each way from their usual screening location can claim a set travel subsidy, based on the distance covered.
Those making trips of over 100 kilometres are also eligible for an overnight accommodation reimbursement of $77.60.
Health Minister Bridget Archer said the subsidy would help fill the gap until a permanent replacement was in place.
“This support is vitally important for the interim,” she said.
“This travel subsidy, as an interim measure to support clients in rural and remote locations, will ensure vital healthcare does not lapse for Tasmanians.”
The scheme applies retrospectively from April and covers all cancelled or missed appointments across 2025 and 2026.
To access the support, clients need to provide receipts for accommodation and supply their bank details for direct payments.
BreastScreen Tasmania has also partnered with community health organisation Cohealth to run free charter buses from the east coast to alternative screening sites.
A permanent solution is being developed, though the government has not given a timeline for when a new mobile unit will be ready.
“I have directed the Department of Health to do everything possible to expedite the replacement,” Archer said.
