APodA advocacy update: May 2026
6 May 2026
Our patients deserve better: PBS fight continues in Parliament
We thank Senator Jacqui Lambie for her leadership in tabling the amendment to extend Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) access to endorsed podiatrists and podiatric surgeons.
The amendment has now reached the second reading stage in the Senate. This is an important step, as PBS access for podiatrists is now formally before Parliament.
The amendment may return to the Senate during the Budget sitting week in mid‑May or the sitting week commencing 25 May. When Parliament resumes, we will be in Canberra to continue direct advocacy.
While progress in the Senate matters, government support is essential for the amendment to pass the House of Representatives, which is why we have increased our engagement with MPs, senators and health sector stakeholders.
Some resistance remains within the health sector, despite the real impact on patients. Many patients, including pensioners, veterans and people living with disability, are still forced to pay full private prescription costs or see a GP solely to access PBS pricing.
This amendment addresses that gap. It allows authorised podiatrists to provide PBS access in line with other prescribing health professionals, reducing costs, inefficiencies and unnecessary pressure on general practice.
The policy case is strong and the benefit to patients is clear. Our focus remains on securing government support to deliver this long‑overdue and practical reform.
Podiatrists advocating for PBS parity
APodA member, Timothy Leahy responded to the call for podiatrists to engage with local policy and decision makers. He used the letter template and advice from the APodA advocacy team to write to his local Federal Member for Parliament, Ms Lisa Chesters MP. Tim was able to set up meetings with advisors and ask for increased access to medicines when prescribed by an endorsed podiatrist. He said that ‘The resources provided by APodA were easy to use and helped to raise awareness of the need for PBS parity, especially in the cost-of-living crisis.’ To recap, an amendment is currently before the Federal Senate and we are asking podiatrists to write to their local Federal Senator to ask for support.
Find out more about the APodA's advocacy and how you can get involved on the PBS here >>
Aged care: Help shape the future of podiatry in Support at Home
We are preparing a submission to the Senate Inquiry into the Support at Home Program, and we need your input.
If you’re currently delivering services under Support at Home, your insights are critical. This is an opportunity to ensure the real experiences of podiatrists, and the patients you support, are clearly represented at a national level.
We’ve developed a short survey to capture key issues, including:
- access to services and continuity of care
- pricing and sustainability
- administrative burden and provider arrangements
- impacts on patient outcomes
Your feedback will directly inform our submission and strengthen our advocacy.
Complete the survey here >>
APodA members can access additional Support at Home resources here >>
1.NDIS reforms
There are significant reforms underway in the NDIS. On the 22nd of April, 2026, Minister Butler announced that the NDIS is being fundamentally “reset”. These changes aim to return the NDIS to its original intent of establishing support for people with permanent and significant disability.
Further information on the future direction of the NDIS can be found here >>
What this means for podiatry
The NDIS changes announced may result in changes to demand, pricing and regulations, such as:
- Eligibility criteria for new participants accessing NDIS podiatry supports may be tightened.
- Changes may occur in how current participants access podiatry therapy supports in future NDIS plans.
- Mandatory registration will be expanded, particularly for higher‑risk supports, commencing in July 2027, with full implementation by the end of 2030. Clarification is being sought on how podiatry will be classified under these arrangements.
- More participants being diverted away from the NDIS and will access podiatry supports through other means, such as Medicare-funded pathways or self‑funded (private) arrangements.
We will provide more updates as more details on changes to the NDIS are released.
2. NDIS 2025-2026 Annual Pricing Review
The NDIS has launched its Annual Price Review for 2025–2026, which includes therapy supports such as podiatry.
We have been actively advocating for improved access to podiatry therapy supports for people with disabilities. Our submission can be found here >>
We will provide more updates when the NDIS 2025-2026 Annual Price Review has been released.
3. NDIS Submission lodged
We have made a submission into the Joint Standing Committee Inquiry into the Integrity of the NDIS. APodA recommended that the Committee:
- Acknowledge the need for therapy supports to be delivered only by appropriately qualified and regulated allied health professionals.
- Recognise professional registration as a core safeguarding and cost containment mechanism.
- Support a risk-based integrity approach that avoids duplicative compliance for regulated professions such as podiatry.
- Advise that a tiered and proportionate model be implemented with streamlined compliance and audit requirements for regulated allied health professionals.
- Advocate for integrity reforms to be codesigned with allied health providers to ensure impacts on workforce participation, service access, and long-term sustainability are considered.
Stay up to date and learn more about our NDIS advocacy work here >>
Digital health: EOI - Share your digital health experience
We are currently working with Allied Health Professions Australia (AHPA) and the Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA) as part of a national digital health uplift project.
As part of this work, we are inviting podiatrists to express their interest in sharing their experience using My Health Record and/or ePrescribing.
We’re looking to capture practical, real-world examples of how these tools are being used in podiatry, what’s working well, what’s changed, and where there are opportunities for improvement.
What’s involved?
If you express interest, we will:
- Provide a simple case study template to guide your input
- Share example case studies to illustrate how your experience may be presented
- Work with you to develop your case study (if required)
Register your interest
If you’re currently using My Health Record or ePrescribing and are open to sharing your experience, please email: advocacy@podiatry.org.au.
1. Australian Institute of Health & Welfare (AIHW) Primary Care Data Consultation
We recently provided a submission to the AIHW on the proposed National Primary Health Care Data Collection Data Governance Framework. This work will shape how primary care data is collected and used nationally to inform policy, workforce planning and service delivery.
We emphasised the importance of ensuring podiatry and allied health are clearly recognised within the dataset, to avoid ongoing under-representation and improve visibility of our contribution across the health system.
Our submission focused on strengthening allied health inclusion in governance, improving the quality and use of podiatry data, and ensuring strong privacy safeguards and meaningful feedback to practitioners.
2. WorkCover QLD Table of Costs Review
We have contributed to WorkCover Queensland’s review of the Allied Health Services Table of Costs for 2026–27, a key piece of work that will influence how podiatry services are recognised and funded within the workers’ compensation scheme.
In our response, we outlined that while the current framework provides a foundation, it does not fully capture the breadth of podiatry services or the growing complexity of patients within the scheme. We also noted increasing pressure on clinics where fees and structures do not align with the real cost of care.
We focused on the need for a more contemporary approach that better reflects podiatry’s role in injury management and return to work, including fairer fee settings, improved alignment with other allied health professions, and clearer recognition of the clinical and non-clinical work required to support patients.
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