17/05/2026
On 12 May, the Federal Government released its budget for the 2026/27 financial year. Within it, there is a line item for Allied Health for Veterans, with a “Cap Limit” of $5,000 per Financial Year.
The TPI Federation sought clarification on what this means during the ESORT Budget Brief on 13 May. The TPI Federation, asked whether the $5,000 limit applies to all Allied Health support for the entire financial year—or whether it can be exceeded when there is a genuine clinical need that this could be collectively done, so that Veterans can maintain continuity of care through services such as Exercise Physiotherapy Psychology, and Dietetics. It is worth noting that Open Arms Psychology services are not included in this limit, but the TPI Federation is concerned that this could be done and added into the future.
The response provided to the ESORT was that “80% of Veterans use below the $5,000 mark for Allied Health, 10% of Veterans use well above the $5,000 limit for Allied Health, and it appears that some of that higher use may be in areas that are not strongly linked to clinical need.” The Minister’s example was that a Veteran using Exercise Physiotherapy three times a week might be overusing the system, and that the $5,000 limit is intended to ensure that clinical needs are appropriately met.
I’m deeply concerned that the Department may not fully understand how complex Allied Health support can be in real life. For example, many of our members, not just within the TPI Federation, but the wider Veteran Community, attend psychology sessions through “Open Arms,” and those visits do not count toward the $5,000 limit.
For Gold Card holders—many of whom live with multiple injuries and illnesses—ongoing Allied Health can be essential to keeping everyday life as normal as possible. For the above reasons there is considerable anxiety and confusion within the Veterans Community, and the release of this information was very poorly delivered to the Veteran Community, and as such the TPI Federation has sort urgent clarification on all the details, and not just ‘motherhood statements!
We’re also concerned about what happens when Veterans transition from the DRCA to the VETS Acts and begin receiving their Gold Card. At that point, Allied Health costs may shift from private health cover or Medicare into the DVA system. DVA may then apply medical coverage to “ALL CONDITIONS,” whereas currently, under “Veterans Health Care—Specific Conditions only,” coverage is limited to accepted conditions. Because of this, the overall spending the budget is based on may be higher than current projections anticipate.
For these reasons, the TPI Federation—through the TPI State Associations—will be advocating to DVA to provide evidence about Veterans’ actual use of Allied Health: specifically, whether figures reflect use over one year, an average over two years, or an average over three years. Most importantly, we want to ensure Veterans’ hard-won entitlements are not eroded, and that clinical care continues to meet real, individual needs.
Scott Jeffrey, JP(SA)
National President
TPI Federation of Australia
