APodA advocacy update: September 2025

16 Sep 2025

NDIS Roundtable with Minister McAllister

Hosted by Allied Health Professions Australia, APodA’s Policy, Advocacy & Research Manager, Judy Powell participated in a roundtable meeting in Sydney. This presented a great opportunity to engage directly with the Minister for the NDIS, Senator the Hon Jenny McAllister. The Commonwealth Chief Allied Health Officer, Anita Hobson-Powell and advisors from the Minister’s office were also in attendance.

The discussion at the roundtable centred on:

NDIS Therapy Pricing Policy
Thriving kids and foundational supports
Evidence based therapy supports

Discussions provided opportunity to:

Showcase the importance of early and ongoing consultation with the sector
The intersections between Thriving Kids and the NDIS Transparency around therapy support policy reviews coupled with deeper engagement with Professional associations and expert clinicians to guide these reviews.

We look forward to continuing the conversation with the Minister’s office, the NDIA and the allied health community.

Review of MBS Chronic Condition Management Services

The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing has engaged the Sax Institute to undertake a rapid evidence review as part of the ongoing review of MBS allied health chronic condition management services. This work will help inform recommendations about the optimal number and duration of consultations that should be subsidised under the MBS for patients with chronic conditions. The focus is on understanding how the amount and length of allied health care impacts health outcomes across a range of common chronic conditions.

The APodA has been invited to contribute to this review to ensure podiatry’s role is clearly recognised. Our contribution will draw on a combination of member survey results, which reflect the real-world experiences of podiatrists working within the MBS, and existing clinical guidelines and evidence relevant to podiatry care.

By contributing, APodA will help highlight the value of podiatry in chronic disease management and ensure that patient outcomes, safety, and access to care are central considerations in any proposed changes.

To read more about the Medicare Benefits Schedule Review and those involved in the advisory committee click HERE

The APodA invites its members to submit any questions regarding the scheme or the recent changes for us to submit to the Department ahead of time to ensure we can get your answers. Please email Advocacy@podiatry.org.au with the title CDM Webinar Questions.

Upcoming Webinar: Changes to Medicare CDM Arrangements

Allied Health Professions Australia (AHPA) is hosting a sector-wide webinar to explain the upcoming changes to Medicare Chronic Disease Management (CDM) arrangements.

Date: Monday, 29 September 2025
Time: 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm (AEST)
Online via Microsoft Teams

The session will feature presentations from the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing and Services Australia, covering:

The new GP referral requirements under CDM
Implications for allied health professionals and practices
How to respond to patient and practice queries

A live Q&A session will follow the presentations.

Update: New Ahpra Guidelines on Non-Surgical Cosmetic Procedures

As of 2 September, Ahpra and the National Boards have released two new guidelines:

Guidelines for advertising higher-risk non-surgical cosmetic procedures (Advertising Guidelines)
Guidelines for registered health practitioners who perform non-surgical cosmetic procedures

These updates aim to strengthen public safety, improve transparency in advertising, and support consistency in practice across professions.

To access these guidelines and more click HERE

NDIS

NDIS Members Survey Report

Thanks to all our members who completed the NDIS Survey regarding the NDIS price changes on 1 July 2025. While podiatrists are overwhelmingly committed to supporting NDIS participants, many feel frustrated, undervalued and financially strained under the current system. We have collated your responses, and the report highlights these themes and can be found here >>

APodA continue to raise concerns through our ongoing involvement in

The recent Ministerial Roundtable with Minister for NDIS, Minister McAllister, in Sydney on the 5th of September,
Regular meetings with the NDIA through the Allied Health Profession Australia Disability Working Group
NDIS submissions and consultations

We are looking at ways to develop a constructive relationship with the NDIA with timely involvement in consultation and engagement in future decision making.

Pricing Review

We are anticipating the release of the Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority (IHACPA) report conducted in 2024. IHACPA were asked by the Australian Government to develop a NDIS pricing data strategy.

This report is still to be released, and it is unclear whether contents of the report were considered in the recent reforms and subsequent changes in the NDIS Price Review 2025-2026.

Once released ApodA will review the report and address any concerns identified as issues for our members.

Further information about the report can be found HERE.

Upcoming consultations

1. NSW Dept of Communities and Justice Foundational Supports for Children Community Consultation

The NSW DCJ are conducting community and sector consultation on Foundational Supports for children in NSW for children under 9.

Consultation will locally across NSW until October. For further information click HERE

2. Review of the NDIS Practice Standards Review conducted by KPMG.

In October there are opportunities for podiatrists and participants to be involved.

This is the follow up from consultations held in June 2025. Thanks to Kylie Gates and Kristine McKenzie who were involved in the initial consultation.

Involvement in the next stage will be conducted in mid-October 2025. The APodA will update members as the consultation approaches.

Want to be more involved?

Our dedicated NDIS advocacy page shows you how you can be involved in supporting collective action.

Aged Care

APodA Response: IHACPA Pricing Framework for Residential Aged Care Services 2026–27

The Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority (IHACPA) recently consulted on its Pricing Framework for Australian Residential Aged Care Services 2026–27. This annual framework guides IHACPA’s approach to developing pricing and costing advice for government and is a key policy document to ensure transparency and accountability in residential aged care pricing.

In our submission, the APodA highlighted several areas where podiatry is overlooked or undervalued in the current framework:

Podiatry-specific costs are not adequately captured
Podiatry’s role in reablement and wound management is under-recognised
Mobile and outreach service models are not costed or supported
Lack of visibility in thin market programs and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander services
Increased clinical risks when podiatry is excluded from care planning and funding models

Given the scale of legislative and operational changes across aged care, the expertise of our Podiatrists in Aged Care Special Interest Group (PAC SIG) is now more critical than ever in shaping our advocacy.

To learn more about the PAC SIG and how you can get involved, click HERE.

Free Interpreting Service (FIS)

Have you used the Free Interpreting Service (FIS)?
Or referred patients to it? Or maybe you haven’t used it at all?

We’d love to hear your thoughts!

The Department of Health, Disability and Aged Care is evaluating the Free Interpreting Service program for allied health professionals. This service provides free access to interpreters for eligible allied health practitioners supporting patients with limited English in private (non-hospital) settings.

Whether you’ve used the service, referred someone, or chosen not to use it, we want to hear from you.

We're particularly keen to understand:

What’s helped or hindered use of the FIS
Barriers and how they could be addressed
Your awareness and access to the service
Whether it’s improving health outcomes
Any gaps or duplication in the program

Email us at advocacy@podiatry.org.au to share your feedback.

Click here to read more about the program: HERE

DVA HPFF: Cracking down on provider fraud

On 11 September, Angela Harper represented APodA at the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) quarterly Health Providers Partnership Forum (HPPF), alongside colleagues from across the allied health sector.

A key focus of the forum was fraudulent billing, which DVA has identified as a growing issue in the wake of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. DVA’s Compliance and Integrity Reform branch has strengthened anti-fraud measures, including:

Manual billing and claim processing
Restricting billing to treating practitioners under their own provider number
Publicly naming providers found to be engaging in unlawful practices

Fraudulent behaviours flagged by DVA include:

Claiming for services not provided
Billing for ineligible services under DVA’s schedule of fees
Delivering allied health services without a valid GP referral

DVA is seeking feedback from providers on how best to support compliance and help practitioners do the right thing.

Other updates from the forum included:

New aged care initiatives for residential and in-home support
An e-learning platform to improve patient care
Introduction of Dr Steph Davis PSM as DVA’s new Chief Health Officer

Primary Health Networks

The PHN has launched two initiatives to strengthen and future-proof allied health practices, including podiatry, across the Hunter, New England and Central Coast region:

1. Sustainability and Viability Initiative for Allied Health (SAVIAH)

Assesses practices against workforce, finance, operations, and sustainability.
Practices are placed into one of three tiers:
- Growth and Opportunity
- Viable and Optimising
- Viable and Sustainable
Tier status determines access to targeted support, such as upskilling, grants, and tailored resources.
Mandatory completion of the SAVIAH assessment is required to be eligible for future PHN initiatives.

2. Health-e Together Digital Care Assessment (DCA)

Evaluates a practice’s digital maturity across infrastructure, readiness, literacy, technology use, and leadership.
Provides a tailored digital action plan with practical next steps.
Supports practices to become future-ready, viable, and digitally enabled.

Details

Assessments open: 8 September – 23 October 2025 (online, ~30 minutes each).

To learn more click HERE or email alliedhealth@thephn.com.au

Lodged Submissions

Treasury Submission: Reform to Non-Compete Clauses

On 5 September, the APodA advocacy team lodged a submission to Treasury on the Government’s proposed reforms to non-compete clauses and other restraints on workers.

APodA supports the policy intent: to increase labour mobility, strengthen competition, and remove unnecessary barriers for workers earning below the Fair Work Act’s high-income threshold. For podiatrists, this is particularly relevant, as most earn below that threshold. Removing non-compete clauses will improve workforce flexibility, open opportunities for graduates and early-career podiatrists, and help address workforce shortages — especially in regional and rural areas.

At the same time, we highlighted the need to protect the legitimate interests of sole practitioners and small practices, which are the backbone of podiatry service delivery. For these businesses, client relationships, goodwill, and intellectual property are critical assets. We encouraged Government to ensure proportionate alternatives remain available — such as client non-solicitation clauses, confidentiality agreements, and other targeted measures — to protect small businesses without unfairly restricting workforce mobility.

2. Ahpra Confidential preliminary consultation – Draft registration standard: General registration for experienced internationally qualified health practitioners

Media Release: Australian Podiatry Association congratulates Queensland Health’s step forward to build regional podiatry workforce

Stakeholder engagement paid off during the past month with the advocacy team alerted to a new Queensland Government initiative for podiatry trainees. APodA published a media release that supported the initiative. Below is an excerpt and you can read more at the link provided.

The Australian Podiatry Association (APodA) welcomes the introduction of the Queensland Health Podiatry Trainee Program as an important step in addressing the current workforce shortage across Queensland. By enabling students to undertake paid trainee roles while completing their studies, this program removes significant barriers to entry and strengthens the pathway into the profession. The integration of remote study options with structured clinical experience will not only broaden access to podiatry but also help ensure a sustainable supply of graduates equipped to meet the growing demand for podiatry services.

Call for SA Participants – UniSA Research on Sustainability in Podiatry

The APodA is pleased to support UniSA Honours research exploring clinical waste and sustainability in podiatry.

Researchers are seeking registered podiatrists based in South Australia to participate in this study.

What’s involved?

3 short waste audits
A brief survey (10–15 minutes total)

This study has HREC approval (Ethics ID: 206947).

Your input will help shape more environmentally sustainable healthcare practices in podiatry.

To get involved, please email Camelia at Tancy147@mymail.unisa.edu.au

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