Federal Nationals Member for Lyne, Alison Penfold, is calling on the Albanese Government to urgently revoke the latest NDIS pricing changes, warning of the significant negative impacts on people with a disability living in regional and remote areas.
The changes, announced following the Government's NDIS Annual Pricing Review, came into effect on July 1 and alter the pricing structure for allied health services such as occupational therapy, speech therapy, and physiotherapy. The changes also cap travel costs to 50% of the hourly charge, noting travel charge rates are already limited by the MMM (Modified Monash Model) location.
"I recently sat down with a group of local allied health professionals from across the Lyne electorate," Ms Penfold said. "Their message was clear: this decision is not clinically informed, not regionally fair, and not economically sound."
"The government has miscalculated in pursuing this approach to reining in the cost of the NDIS. The consequence will simply reduce service delivery in homes and natural environments, which is precisely where many people need it most. It fails the equality test of the NDIS and the consequences fly in the face of clinical best practice."
Ms Penfold said the impact would fall hardest on those already disadvantaged NDIS participants in isolated and rural areas without access to public transport, whose only path to support is through mobile or home-based care.
"This is a city-centric decision that undermines the safety and accessibility of essential services," she said.
"It does not appear that the regional impacts were properly considered, and I hold serious concerns about the data on which these changes were based.
"Allied health is essential to keeping people well in their homes and out of hospital. These practitioners are the frontline of community health. Without them, the cost to the public health system will only grow.
Ms Penfold said the decision risks widening the care gap between city and country.
"Everyone deserves access to high-quality health care, regardless of postcode. This change risks setting a lower standard of care in regional Australia-and that's not something I will accept.
Ms Penfold is calling on the government to overturn the implementation of the pricing changes, and go back to the drawing board with proper consultation, especially with regional service providers.
"We need NDIS reform, but not like this. This approach fails the very people the scheme was designed to support," she said.
