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Hospital at Home

Hospital treatments at home

Experience tells us that some forms of care are better delivered in a home-based environment. When you care for someone in their own home, rather than in hospital, they’re at their most comfortable at a time when they need to work on their health.

We've teamed up with several providers to provide accessible in-home options for eligible RT Health members who would prefer to be in their own home and not in hospital, so that wherever possible you have a choice in how you are treated.

These treatments are called Hospital Substitute Treatment (or HST) because the treatment at home takes the place of treatment you’d have to visit, or stay in hospital for. 

Types of Hospital Substitute Treatment

Intravenous (IV) therapy antibiotics
Complex wound care with negative pressure wound therapy
Rehabilitation after a hip or knee replacement
IV Chemotherapy

What treatment can I have at home?

If you’d normally be covered for the treatment in hospital, and your treating doctor agrees, you can have treatment at home instead. We will work with you, your doctor and hospital to cover the cost of the treatment at home if you need:

  • intravenous (IV) therapy antibiotics
  • complex wound care with negative pressure wound therapy
  • rehabilitation after a hip or knee replacement
  • IV chemotherapy. 

Please note: Limits apply on HST services rendered. These limits sit with the Provider and your doctor should check these from the outset and advise you accordingly.

Depending on where you live and the treatment you need, you might also be able to choose your Hospital Substitute Treatment (HST) provider.

We've also been providing at-home support during COVID-19 to eligible members who have had hip or knee replacement surgery postponed.

What isn’t covered?

While we’re working to expand services for treatment at home, we only cover specific treatments that we have contracts with providers to deliver.

If the reason you’re in hospital or need treatment at home is in any way related to an incident, accident or surgery you can claim compensation for from another party (like a workers compensation insurer, motor accident authority or a public liability insurer), then you're not able to be covered by your private health insurance.

How long will I get treatment for?

We consider your treatment at home complete once the care you need can be given in the community (like visiting a GP clinic or getting a referral to community nursing to have dressing changes that would've happened after you left hospital). When you finish your treatment, the HST provider will refer you to community services if you need them.

As an example, HST for complex wound care means rt health will pay for the treatment for the time you would have stayed in hospital. Our contracted HST providers will talk to you about when the transition to options in the community will happen.

How do I know if I am eligible?

Our Member Sevices team will firstly check the following to ensure you meet the initial eligibility, To be eligible, you'll need:

  • to be a current rt health member
  • to hold Hospital Cover and have served any waiting periods for pre-existing conditions
  • to be covered for the treatment you’re having if you were admitted to hospital.

Our contracted HST providers will be able to assess your needs and tell your treating team if you’re eligible. Each type of treatment has slightly different criteria, but generally to be eligible, you’ll need to:

  • need treatment that you would have had to stay in hospital for
  • live in an area served by an rt health-contracted HST provider
  • have a suitable home environment to be treated in.
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How do I access the service?

You can talk to your treatment team about at-home treatment options while you’re in hospital.

Click here for a list of providers that rt health has contracts with to give treatment at home to members.

There are no out-of-pocket costs for treatment at home through rt health-contracted HST providers.

To find a Hospital at Home Provider
Interested in finding out more? Call our team and ask them about our Hospital at Home Treatments