I am writing to advise you that the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment (Single Treatment Pathway) Bill 2019 was introduced into Parliament on 14 February 2019 which you can access at www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation and www.dva.gov.au/about-dva/legislation/current-bills-parliament/military-rehabilitation-and-compensation-amendment
The Single Treatment Pathway measure was included in the Australian Veterans’ Wellbeing Package announced as part of the 2018-19 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook.
This measure removes the dual treatment pathway model under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (MRCA) and replaces it with a Single Treatment Pathway model similar to arrangements under the Veterans’ Entitlement Act 1986 and the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988.
If this legislation passes, from 1 July 2019, all MRCA clients, like other DVA clients, would have access to a DVA health card (White Card), simplifying the way they access health treatment and reducing the financial pressure and administrative burden on veterans and their families. Clients will only need to present their DVA health card at the time of medical treatment and payments will be made directly to health providers, electronically via the Medicare system.
For those clients with complex treatment needs, a new discretion would preserve any current arrangement and enable the Commission to provide clients with the treatment clinically required, given their individual circumstances.
This measure would benefit 4000 MRCA clients currently under the reimbursement pathway who would no longer need to pay up front. It will also regularise transitions that have already occurred and automatically issue a DVA Health Card to future eligible claimants. DVA is currently working on how the measure will be implemented and will provide more information to clients closer to the start date of 1 July 2019.
Please see attached an Information Sheet with Questions & Answers.
Yours sincerely,
Liz Cosson AM CSC
