DVA pays allied health workers less than NDIS professionals

We’ve posted about some issues currently under review with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs on our social media in the past few months, including an article by the ABC about pay inequities for allied health workers caring for veterans. The article explains how workers are facing a choice between higher pay and caring for patients who’ve served Australia:

The Department of Veterans’ Affairs pays allied health workers, like occupational therapists and physiotherapists, only when they meet clients face-to-face.

But the National Disability Insurance Scheme pays the same professionals for everything they do, like paperwork, travel, research and anything directly connected with their clients’ care.

That’s forcing many into a heartbreaking choice between caring for clients who’ve served their country or taking higher pay to care for other needy Australians.

Occupational therapist, Donna Griffin, based in Gympie (Queensland), is working with Federal MP Llew O’Brien to campaign for fairer payment arrangements. The Veterans Affairs Minister has been reported as working on a budget proposal to deal with the issue but that this was shelved when the federal budget was postponed due to the corona virus outbreak.

ActivOT practitioners are dedicated to caring for our veteran clients and will continue to do so, regardless of the outcome of this campaign.

You can read the full article on the ABC News website or listen to the radio broadcast here.