Taking OT advocacy to Canberra

Ensuring occupational therapists are heard in the NDIS reform process was the focus of OTA’s meetings in Canberra this week. Chief Occupational Therapist Michelle Oliver met with Minister Butler’s Office and Senator Jordon Steele-John to discuss the NDIS Bill, build support for our No OTs, No NDIS campaign and advance our Thriving Kids advocacy.

Key recommendations from OTA's submission to the NDIS Bill inquiry were discussed, including functional capacity, assessments and the assessment workforce. Michelle also highlighted the importance of protecting the occupational therapy workforce and ensuring private providers can continue delivering services to children and families through Thriving Kids.

OTA will continue engaging with elected representatives and policymakers to advocate for urgent changes to the Bill.

Update on NDIS Amendment Bill

OTA continues to advocate on the NDIS Amendment Bill. We are working hard to see a strengthened Bill that protects participant access to occupational therapy supports and ensures a thriving workforce.

We stand by all 13 of our recommendations, which call for amendments to the Bill to protect participant access and choice, ensure occupational therapists and allied health professionals play a central role in assessment and reform design, constrain broad Ministerial powers over funding and pricing, and reduce regulatory burden on allied health professionals.

At this stage of the reform process, our focus is on three constructive recommendations that are achievable through targeted amendments:

• relevant health qualifications for NDIS assessors
• independent advice to inform pricing decisions
• registration requirements that do not duplicate existing professional obligations

The Greens have secured a number of amendments from the Government. These amendments would limit the Minister's power to cut participant support budgets, require greater transparency around automated decision-making, and ensure that any treatment required for NDIS eligibility cannot involve restrictive practices and must be publicly available.

Submissions on the Bill have reopened, following an 8-week extension secured by the Greens. Submissions for the second round of consultation close Friday 11 July, with the Committee's new reporting deadline set for 14 August.

Senate Inquiry: CHSP should stay

The Senate Inquiry into the Future of the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) tabled its recommendations on 23 June. Chief among the recommendations was that CHSP be retained as discrete program alongside the troubled Support at Home program.

Comprising Senators from across the political spectrum (including the Australian Greens, The Liberal Party and the ALP) the Senate Inquiry recommendations come in the wake of The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) report tabled on 20 May, that found CHSP to be “a successful, flexible, responsive program that met its primary objectives for nearly 850,000 older people, delivered by 1,350 providers”.

The Senate Inquiry made eight key recommendations around CHSP, including that the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing commission an independent cost-benefit analysis to examines value of CHSP against aged care delivery cost of other programs, including Support at Home.

It also recommended automatic thin market funding be provided via direct subsidy payments (replacing grant processes), and crucially, that Australian Government extend CHSP funding for an additional three years after July 2027 to allow time for consultation and co-design.

OTA attended a roundtable co-hosted by Ageing Australia, OPAN and COTA on 29 June and, in broad terms, supports the recommendations of the Senate Inquiry, noting consultation and co-design will be ongoing if the recommendations are adopted by Government.

OTA Submission to Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS

OTA has submitted to the Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS, which is examining the Scheme's implementation, performance, governance, administration and expenditure.

We identified growing risks to the NDIS from workforce pressures, underfunding and administrative inefficiencies. Left unaddressed, these will continue to limit participant access to occupational therapy supports and drive poorer outcomes.

Our submission drew on the frontline experience of our members to ground our recommendations in practice. We provided four recommendations – covering assessment pathways, assistive technology, environmental modifications and skill building – which offer practical, evidence-based reforms to improve the Scheme's efficiency and sustainability, without placing further burden on the workforce it depends on.

All four recommendations draw directly on member feedback. Each one reflects ideas and suggestions our members have shared with us directly from assessment bottlenecks to assistive technology delays and the daily weight of administrative burden. We hear you, and we're taking what you've told us to the places where it can make a difference.

You can read our submission here.

Support Elders in aged care this NAIDOC Week

VACCHO (the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation) continue to advocate for the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the Aged Care system.

At a powerful and address at NACA (National Aged Care Alliance) Aunty Jill Gallagher clearly set out several issues faced by elders engaging with the Support at Home program. Under the Support at Home roll out, Elders are being asked to pay co-contributions for meals, cleaning, transport, and personal care, reflecting costs of up to $150 per week.

To meet these costs, Elders are going through the financial hardship application process, which VACCHO see as both undignified and culturally unsafe. While the Federal Budget incorporated a $3.2 million package over 4 years that exempts Stolen Generations Redress Scheme payments from means-tested income, Aunty Jill argued that that dis-continuation of CHSP block-funding and a requirement for ACCOs to charge Elders income tested fees undermines a community-controlled model and weakens Priority Two of Closing the Gap.

Members can view a petition on the issue here, and listen to Aunty Jill Gallagher and Uncle Carey MacDonald speaking on issue here.

TAC’s new hand therapy fee schedule

The TAC is introducing a new hand therapy fee schedule, which will apply from 1 July 2026. The schedule will apply to occupational therapists and physiotherapists delivering hand therapy, bringing both professions under the same hand therapy fee structure.

From 1 July 2026, the new hand therapy fee schedule will be available in HICAPS for invoicing. The applicable rate will be set out in the TAC fee schedule.

The TAC has also updated its Allied Health Policy to include hand therapy, effective 1 June 2026. TAC has advised that this is intended to clarify expectations and reduce uncertainty, rather than change clinical practice requirements.

Existing Above Rate Service Agreements for hand therapy will end on 30 June 2026, with the new fee schedule and associated rates applying from 1 July 2026. TAC has advised that impacted providers will be notified directly.

Read more about the new fee schedule and policy on the TAC’s website

If you have questions about the updated fee schedule, please contact: sectors@tac.vic.gov.au

NDIA: Increasing integrity checks on older claims

NDIS participants and providers should claim as soon as possible after an NDIS support is delivered. Timely claiming means self-managed participants can be paid back faster for any out-of-pocket expenses.

From 18 June 2026, NDIA will be doing extra checks on older claims. At first, NDIA will be checking claims submitted more than 12 months after receiving or delivering a support. NDIA will check to make sure the claims are for NDIS supports. Older claims may be held for up to 28 days while the NDIA complete their checks. NDIA will contact you if they need more information about your claim.

To find out more please visit the NDIS website.