Healthcare providers warn some regional services will be 'unviable' as NDIS cuts travel allowance in half

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Changes to NDIS funding, set to take effect on 1 July, are raising alarm in the disability community. Allied health providers are warning that cuts to travel subsidies will make it harder for people in regional Australia to receive critical care.

Transcript

00:00Since he was very young, Avery Randall has relied on regular therapy for his cerebral

00:08palsy, much of it delivered at home.

00:10When Avery was born he had a lot of speech problems and our speech pathologist used to

00:16drive down from Launceston all the way to our house in Penguin once a week to help Avery.

00:24His dad Adam says those visits were critical in his son's development.

00:29Without that sort of financial help that they get to travel, Avery as far as I'm concerned

00:38wouldn't be as advanced as he is.

00:40Remember dribble, dribble, good job.

00:43But under the NDIS' latest annual pricing review, travel subsidies for allied health

00:47providers are set to be halved, a move Avery's physiotherapist says could stop allied health

00:53practitioners from travelling to regional areas.

00:57That means that all the clients that can come to the clinic will have to be seen at the

01:01clinic and any clients that can't come to the clinic we just won't be able to see them

01:05anymore.

01:07Australia's peak body for disability service providers agrees the pricing changes will

01:12discourage providers from travelling, which will especially affect people living in regional

01:16areas.

01:17They're not going to get the support they need.

01:20And that is really concerning for people with those complex support needs.

01:27And what happens then?

01:29We don't know.

01:30The NDIA said it is committed to improving access to support for regional and remote Australians.

01:35A spokesperson said the price changes will ensure NDIS participants are not paying significantly

01:41higher rates for some services than those outside of the NDIS.

01:44Rest in the community, you must pay lessётся.

01:47The NDIA was paid to the dönem of the NDIS team by ASCRA Center at Тогда what they need to

01:57add is their farmers and other businesses, and reducing is just for everyone to move forward all

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