Get treatment while you wait on a claim (PAMT)

Under the Provisional Access to Medical Treatment program, or PAMT, we will pay for your treatment for certain conditions before we have accepted liability for them.

This means that you don’t have to wait for us to approve your claim before you can access treatment that we fund.

Video transcript

The program

To access the PAMT program, you need to submit your claim for one or more of the listed conditions before 30 June 2026. You will be able to access treatment under the program until 31 December 2026, or your claim is determined, whichever occurs first.

Eligibility

You may be eligible if you have submitted a claim for one or more of the 20 specified conditions under either the:

• Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988 (DRCA)
• Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (MRCA).

You must have submitted your claim between 18 June 2017 and 30 June 2026.

The program is open to:

• former ADF members
• part-time reservists
• cadets
• declared members.

Who is not eligible

You are not eligible if you submitted a claim under the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 (VEA).

The conditions

PAMT enables you to access treatment for the following 20 most commonly accepted conditions while we assess your claim:

• achilles tendinopathy and bursitis
• chondromalacia patella
• cut, stab, abrasion and laceration
• dislocation
• fracture
• internal derangement of the knee
• intervertebral disc prolapse
• joint instability
• labral tear
• lumbar spondylosis
• non-melanotic malignant neoplasm of the skin
• osteoarthritis
• plantar fasciitis
• rotator cuff syndrome
• sensorineural hearing loss
• shin splints
• solar keratosis
• sprain and strain
• thoracic spondylosis
• tinnitus

Access to PAMT

Once you have submitted a claim under either or both the DRCA or the MRCA, we will write to you about the program and send you a ‘Treatment confirmation’ form. You must present the form to your GP, who will determine if your injury or illness is related to one or more of the conditions covered.

If it is, your GP will complete the form and send a copy to us. You will be given the original form for your own records.

You will then be able to access treatment under PAMT until:

• we either accept or decline your claim (make a determination)
• your application for reconsideration or review is finalised
• 31 December 2026 (the end of the program).

If we accept your claim

If we accept your claim, you will move to normal DVA arrangements. There will be no disruption to your treatment.

We will send you a letter with the support, services and compensation that may be available to you. We will issue you with a Veteran White Card if you don't have one already. This card will cover the cost of your care.

You should check that your provider accepts the Veteran White Card before they treat you.

If we do not accept your claim

If we do not accept your claim, you may choose to appeal that decision. Your treatment during the appeal period will also be covered under the program.

If your claim is not accepted and you do not appeal, your entitlement to treatment under the program will cease. You should discuss further treatment options with your GP.

We will not ask you to pay back the costs of care while we were assessing your claim.