OTA’s 2025 Federal Election Statement

Occupational Therapy Australia (OTA) is the peak membership body representing occupational therapists (OTs) nationally. We empower and elevate over 30,000 exceptional professionals who in turn work in partnership with clients and communities to lead meaningful lives. We’re the single, unifying connection point for occupational therapists in the nation, leading the profession through education, support, and advocacy, so every OT is informed, inspired and fulfilled in their profession.

As one of Australia’s largest allied health workforces, OTs provide essential care across primary care, aged care, disability, mental health, veteran care and more.

The 2025 Federal Election is a critical opportunity to invest in the allied health workforce and strengthen healthcare services. This Statement outlines 27 strategic calls to action essential for addressing pressing issues. A detailed breakdown of each ask is available in OTA’s 2025 Federal Election Playbook.

Workforce: Fix Critical Shortages

Demand for OT services is rising—projected to grow by 7.1% by 2026 (1*) —yet workforce shortages are worsening. With 6,600 vacancies nationwide and an 8% annual exit rate, long wait times and workforce pressures are increasing. With no national strategy or funding allocated to address these shortages access to essential OT services will continue to decline.

OTA calls on all parties to:

1) Fund a national supervision program to support clinical placements and early career OTs in private practice, as recommended by the Scope of Practice Review.

2) Extend the Commonwealth Prac Payment to OT students.

3) Establish and expand expediated registration pathways for overseas OT, as recommended by the Independent Review of Health Practitioner Regulatory Settings.

4) Fund priority actions arising from the upcoming National Allied Health Workforce Strategy.

Disability: Fix A System in Crisis

OTs are a vital part of the disability landscape and deliver unique capacity building services, which help people with disabilities build skills, participate in life, and increase independence – which in turn reduces reliance on broader disability supports. Planned disability reforms risk reducing access to OTs, and the Australian Government has excluded OTA and OTs from key policy discussions, risking untested models that fail to meet clinical and participant needs. At the same time OTs face increased uncertainty and rising costs risking provider exit from the sector.

OTA calls on all parties to:

5) Include OTA and OTs in the design and delivery of new support needs assessment models and protect participant access to specialised OT assessments.

6) Include OTs in the design and delivery of Foundational Supports.

7) Co-design a NDIS Reform implementation plan and staged introduction of reforms with participants and OTs and include OTA on the NDIS Reform Advisory Committee.

8) Ensure transitional funding for individuals reassessed as ineligible for the NDIS.

9) Boost NDIS pricing for OT services to ensure fair and sustainable access.

Mental Health: Address Unmet Need

OTs provide essential mental health care, drawing on a range of occupational therapy specific tools and approaches as well as psychotherapy approaches to support people with mental ill-health and psychosocial disability. Yet 500,000 Australians lack access to essential supports due to funding gaps, low Medicare rebates, annual limits, and scope restrictions.

Current reforms will worsen this crisis. NDIS reassessments are excluding more participants, foundational supports remain underdeveloped and experienced private practice OTs may be shut out of future service models.

OTA calls on all parties to:

10) Work with OTA to develop sustainable funding models for OT services outside the NDIS, ensuring access to foundational supports for people with complex mental ill-health and psychosocial disability.

11) Expand Medicare Better Access to cover the full scope of OT therapeutic interventions, including assessments and treatment.

12) Increase Medicare rebates and annual limits for OT services to improve affordability and accessibility.

13) Fund OT services within Commonwealth mental health programs, including wraparound care for complex needs, Mental Health Medicare Locals and Head to Health expansion, Commonwealth Psychosocial Support Program and psychosocial foundational supports.

Primary Care: Expand Access

OTs provide essential chronic disease management and preventive care across the lifespan. Many older Australians, people with disability, and those with chronic conditions rely on primary care for OT services, yet access is restricted by low Medicare rebates, strict limits, and narrow eligibility. Private health insurance funding remains inconsistent and misaligned with best practice.

OTA calls on all parties to:

Expand the Medicare Chronic Disease Management (CDM) program

14) Increase annual session limits, introduce time-tiered rebates, and loadings for home or residential care.

15) Expand eligibility to include conditions linked to chronic disease, such as obesity, chronic pain, falls prevention, and dementia.

16) Enable cross-referrals between allied health professionals to improve access to multidisciplinary care. Review private health insurance arrangements

17) Review general treatment policies to align with clinical best practice.

18) Review CDM Plan arrangements to remove barriers to insurer-funded OT services for chronic conditions.

Aged Care: Deliver Essential Support

OTs help older Australians maintain independence, stay in their homes longer, and manage cognitive decline, dementia, and fall risks. They also support residents and staff in aged care facilities by adapting environments and prescribing assistive technology.

New aged care funding models have drastically reduced the OT workforce, leaving many residents reliant on private funding. Access restrictions to assistive technology and home modifications will increase demand for more expensive aged care and hospital services.

OTA calls on all parties to:

19) Develop a needs identification tool for residential aged care.

20) Establish care planning guidelines for home and residential care to ensure early intervention.

21) Improve data collection to track and report OT service delivery under AN-ACC funding. 22) Invest in clinical OT roles and student placements to build a skilled aged care workforce.

23) Ensure sufficient funding, and timely and appropriate provision of services for assistive technology and home modifications across home support programs and residential care.

Veterans: Better Care for Those Who’ve Served

OTs have long supported veterans with complex health needs, yet DVA fees remain too low, limiting access to care. The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide recognised the value of OTs and the need to address high suicide rates and mental health challenges among veterans yet the government has failed to act on key recommendations. Without urgent reform veterans will continue to struggle. The government must do better.

OTA calls on all parties to:

24) Increase DVA fee rates for OT services to reflect true cost of provision and address shortages.

25) Expand eligible mental health OT interventions under DVA to address complex mental health and psychosocial disability needs.

26) Remove treatment cycle referrals for veterans with complex needs, including those receiving palliative care.

27) Expand access to mental health OTs under the Open Arms Outreach Program and engage OTs in the independent review of Open Arms delivery model.

Citations (1*) Department of Health and Aged Care (utilising the National Health Workforce Datasets)