THOUSANDS of patients face longer waits and travel times for health services because of a change to a federal rebate.
That's according to the Victorian Government.
Canberra's telehealth rebate, introduced in 2011, now only applies to remote patients, rather than those in outer suburban and regional areas.
Victorian Health Minister David Davis said those on Melbourne's fringes now face longer waits for services, due to an acute shortage of many specialists in outer metropolitan areas.
Victoria has already accused the Commonwealth of ripping hundreds of millions from the state budget, while the Federal Government insists the state will actually receive an additional one billion dollars over the next four years.
