In the aftermath of an NDIS pricing review that overlooked an adjustment to Therapy Supports, the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) calls for an end to the inaccurate and damaging price-gouging rhetoric that continues to be unfairly pointed toward physiotherapy services and marring the real value that physiotherapy provides under the NDIS.

The NDIS has long been plagued with reports of unscrupulous and unregulated operators exploiting the scheme and the healthcare needs of some of Australia’s most vulnerable populations. However, the unfair criticism directed to physiotherapists is not only inaccurate and misdirected but damaging to the reputation of highly-qualified physiotherapists and the trusted relationships they have built with their NDIS participants.

APA National President Scott Willis, says “the APA absolutely supports the Government’s aim to target overcharging and put a stop to any price gouging. However, APA members are rightly concerned about media reports and comments blaming them for the problems in the NDIS.

“It’s time to correct the misinformation regarding physiotherapy. Claims for physiotherapy items within the NDIS represent less than 1 per cent of all payments in the Scheme¹ and so physiotherapy is simply not responsible for the billions in added costs,” Mr Willis added.

The APA urges Minister Bill Shorten to preserve trust and the relationships that providers and participants share and avoid language that unfairly mars physiotherapy.

“NDIS patients have the ability to select who they want to see for treatment, choosing to return because they experience the benefits of the treatment,” said Mr Willis.

The NDIS pricing update insists the “price limits for therapy supports remain competitive, with the NDIS price limits remaining in the middle or upper range for most therapies”. However, NDIS price limits have remained unchanged since 2019 for supports delivered by physiotherapists, despite the increasing costs of providing these supports, including wage increases and the cost of sophisticated equipment required to treat the often-complex needs of NDIS participants.

The APA continues to call on Government to ensure that physiotherapists are recognised and fairly remunerated for the service they provide and looks forward to working with Minister Shorten and the Albanese Government to ensure access to on-going, high-value physiotherapy services to those who need it most.

References

¹ National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) 2022-23 Annual Pricing Review. Available at: https://australian.physio/sites/default/files/submission-2023-04/APA_SUBMISSION_Pricing_Review_2023.pdf