As part of new funding commitments, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs has also updated GP recognition in veteran compensation assessments.
GPs and veterans alike have welcomed an update to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs fee schedule which increases accessibility to fair and equitable compensation claims.
Announced on Monday this week, the Department of Veteran Affairs has committed to investing $739.2 million to “improve the provision of the treatment and rehabilitation for veterans to reduce the impact of injury on them and improve their lifetime wellbeing.”
Boosted funding will also assist in supporting administrative tasks, with funds available for the completion of medical forms ($19.77 per page) and clinical notes (ranging from $40.28 to $217.87 depending on complexity).
This differs to MBS funding which only supports the time spent in front of the patient, with this new funding boost set to recognise the administrative workload for compensation assessments.
The RACGP has described the funding as a “once off reset rather than routine indexation”, with the college arguing that previous fees did not align with rising practice costs wage growth or the growing medical legal complexity of compensation.
Streamlining the system for veteran compensation claims is part of this with commitment to boost funding for compensation assessments by more than 30%.
This brings the DVA rates into alignment with comparable compensation schemes and ensures that said assessments can be indexed annually from 1 July 2026.
“It does bring the rebates closer to somewhere between Medicare and AMA rates, and it’s a good thing, so we do welcome that increase,” defence force veteran and GP Associate Professor Michael Clements told The Medical Republic.
“We’re seeing a normalisation where the rates are going back to where they should be.”
Professor Clements said the change will also streamline the process of eliminating fraudulent compensation claims.
“Veterans get targeted by health providers that try and invent disease or invent conditions or mental health conditions for cash so that the compensation payments are higher.
“That’s really been manipulating veterans and inflating diagnoses for financial gain.
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“They’re trying to stamp out practices and GPs that are doing the impairment assessments from being linked with companies who profit from these claims.”
“We absolutely welcome adherence to the rules and we welcome investigation of companies or business practices and processes that are actually deliberately targeting the veterans for financial gain.”
Professor Clements stressed that all GPs can provide care for veterans.
“If their patient is a veteran and needs assistance with impairment assessments and claims, we absolutely support those veterans in getting these claims from their usual GP and the DVA has reinforced that,” he said.
“The principle is that we do think that the patient’s normal GP, should be the person filling this paperwork out, and these rebate increases are a key enabler to that.
“Veterans should find it easier now to find GPs that are happy to do this work for them, because the rebates now are approaching what the GP should be entitled to.”
