Physiotherapy peak calls for stronger safeguards as provider confidence weakens

The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) will appear before the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee at Parliament House today, urging Parliament not to pass the National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 without significant amendments while new polling shows confidence among physiotherapy providers is deteriorating.

The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) is incredibly disappointed by the National Disability Insurance Agency’s (NDIA) decision to freeze price limits for physiotherapy supports for the coming year.

The unfounded decision contradicts recently announced National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) reform efforts, ignores the rising cost of providing high-quality support and relies on a flawed assessment of current market conditions.

The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) cautiously welcomes the reform-focused sentiment of the 2026-27 Federal budget tonight and a positive announcement for veterans’ health.

APA National President Dr Rik Dawson said that this government’s willingness to pursue health care reform, despite the challenges of the current fiscal environment, is commendable.

‘We are pleased to see that, despite the challenging fiscal environment, the 2026-27 federal budget prioritises reforms across the health care sector,’ said Dr Dawson.

The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) has released its recent submission to the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee, calling for reforms to Medicare which remedy the Scheme’s failure to provide equitable access to physiotherapy in rural, regional and remote communities. 

Yesterday, Minister for Health, Disability and Ageing Mark Butler spoke before the National Press Club, announcing the Federal Government’s plans for significant reforms to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in the coming year.  

Ahead of the 2026-27 Federal budget, The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) has released its pre-budget submission, calling on the Federal government to enact changes which increase the role of physiotherapy across the health system.

Australia’s health system remains overburdened, and physiotherapy offers evidence-based, cost-effective interventions that are ready to help the government deliver on its reform ambitions by strengthening care, improving outcomes and delivering greater value.