DVA Treatment Cycle Initiative update

 
DVA treatment cycle

DVA Treatment Cycle Initiative update

 
DVA treatment cycle

The Department of Veterans’ Affairs Treatment Cycle is set to go ahead on 1 October and the APA has been working with the department on a number of components.

We have advocated strongly to secure a report writing fee in the fee schedule for allied health providers in recognition of the additional work involved in administering the initiative. DVA has agreed to a $30 fee and to creating a simple report template for allied health providers to use when reporting on their patients’ conditions to GPs.

We have also provided feedback on the DVA clinical provider notes over the past two weeks. The Department has made some adjustments in response to our feedback and committed to considering other comments as part of a broader review it is planning.

Importantly, as a result of our strong advocacy efforts at the Ministerial level in June, DVA is working on an exceptional circumstances framework to exempt a small percentage of the most complex and high needs patient cases from the Treatment Cycle.

We understand that GPs will need to apply for exemptions on behalf of their patients and DVA will assess each application on a case-by-case basis.

 The APA is still waiting on details about how DVA will assess the applications.

The exceptional circumstances exemptions will be introduced in addition to the exemption that has already been announced for Totally and Permanently Incapacitated (TPI) Gold Card holders. TPI clients requiring physiotherapy or exercise physiology will not be subject to the cycle. They will require an annual or indefinite referral enabling as many sessions as clinically necessary.

Any queries can be directed to policy@australian.physio.

See the DVA allied health brochure here.