Access to health services

Since the first special COVID-19 edition of e-news, the Australian Government has provided additional funding to expand Medicare and DVA subsidised telehealth services for all Australians to ensure continued access to essential primary health services during the coronavirus pandemic.

DVA clients are able to access support in their own home using simple video conferencing apps like FaceTime or Skype, or by telephone where video conferencing is not available for a range of medical services including specialist consultations, GP consultations, mental health treatment, chronic disease management, and nurse practitioner services.

These consultations may be provided to clients in normal office hours and after hours, in their own home or in residential aged care facilities.

As of 1 April 2020, DVA clients are also able to receive telehealth consultations from allied health providers.

DVA clients are advised to contact their doctor or allied health provider regarding the arrangements they have in place to deliver telehealth consultations.

DVA’s funding arrangements for allied health services are significantly broader than the services funded under the Medicare Benefits Schedule, and DVA encourages veterans to continue to use these services under their current DVA arrangements.

These arrangements will be in place until 30 September 2020, when they will be reviewed in light of the need to continue the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.