Allied health reforms
Read about our ongoing changes to the dental and allied health service arrangements.
On this page
Ongoing reform
DVA has been making changes to improve the quality and provision of our dental and allied health care to veterans. Our review of DVA dental and allied health arrangements in 2018 provided us with a solid basis for designing and implementing initial and ongoing reforms. One major change was a focus to increase general practitioner (GP) involvement in treatment. Around 270,000 Veteran Card holders are benefiting from this change, such as:
- improved communication between GPs and allied health service providers
- access to an expanded range of services
- opportunities for enhanced complex care management.
Recent changes
A reform package in the 2018–19 Budget provided funding to further improve our dental and allied health services through a number of initiatives. We are now in the final stages of implementing these initiatives, which include:
- introduction of a treatment cycle
- technical adjustments to fee schedules
- trials of new funding models
- upgrades to schedules.
Introduction of a treatment cycle for allied health services
A major element of this work was a change to allied health referral arrangements, known as the treatment cycle, in place since 1 October 2019.
We engaged the Queensland University of Technology to independently evaluate the treatment cycle.
To view the final report, go to DVA treatment cycle evaluation.
Technical adjustments to fee schedules
We made minor technical adjustments to the dental and allied health fee schedules according to industry standards.
Dental fee schedules
In place from 1 November 2018, the new fee schedules align with the 12th edition of the Australian Dental Association Schedule of Dental Services and Glossary.
To view the list of technical adjustments, go to:
- Changes to the fee schedules for dentists, dental specialists and dental prosthetists (PDF 528 KB)
Changes to the fee schedules for dentists, dental specialists and dental prosthetists (DOCX 49 KB)
Allied health fee schedules
The chiropractic fee schedule reflects changes to the Medicare spinal x-ray items.
The occupational therapy fee schedule now simplifies claiming.
The speech pathology fee schedule now allows access to non-nutritional fluid thickeners through the Rehabilitation Appliances Program by referral from speech pathologists and GPs.
Trials of new funding models
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic meant we couldn’t run our planned trials of new funding models safely in the community. Instead, we undertook a desktop analysis to assess other options for funding allied health services that we could investigate further. The aim of the trials and analysis is to test whether a different funding model could improve health outcomes for clients.
To view the final report, go to Alternative funding models for allied health services for veterans.
Upgrades to allied health schedules
We will continue to progressively redesign and upgrade our allied health fee schedules to better reflect modern service delivery and reduce complexity for providers. We will also continue to consult with relevant stakeholders to ensure the fee schedules remain fit for purpose and reflect contemporary industry standards.