Last year the federal government made the decision to make certain natural therapies ineligible for private health insurance rebates, coming into effect on 1 April. Included in this banner is Pilates. Three APA members explain how they are preparing for the changes. Skye Mitchell reports.

Australia’s peak medical bodies have significant influence. In early January, we coordinated and hosted a key advocacy meeting with some of our nation’s most prominent and politically relevant medical organisations.

There were a few reasons for our decision to lead this event.

This includes seeking meetings with government and insurance bodies to ensure the profession has input to policy that would impact patient outcomes financially and medically.

‘National lifetime achievement award winner’ can now be added to APA member Jennie Hewitt’s list of achievements. Jennie was acknowledged on 5 September for her services to aged care in Sydney as part of the 2018 Aged and Community Services Australia (ACSA) aged care awards.

COVID-19 has continued to drain health resources in 2021, forcing much of the sector to jostle for the scraps of decision-makers’ attention and budgets.

Fortunately, there have been a number of opportunities to advocate for the benefits of physiotherapy amid the clamour.

It has been another unusual, unsettling but very busy year for myself, the Board, the Executive Leadership Team, the National Advisory Council, engaged members, the profession and the APA.

However, I am so proud to be a leader of the APA, which has supported its members and staff so well through these unprecedented times, including:

Australia goes to the polls soon, either later this year or early in 2022.

The next federal election will take place in an unknown environment.

Australia will be emerging from COVID-19.

We don’t know what our economic and social situation will be or even if it will be consistent across the states and territories.