Kate Chaney (Curtin, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

People with disability and their families need a consistent, sustainable and fair system of support. My constituents are concerned that the recently announced new pricing arrangements for allied health services under the NDIS will result in a loss of vital therapies to people with disability. While provider costs are going up, the fees for allied health services under the NDIS are going down. In WA the psychologists', physiotherapists', podiatrists' and dieticians' fees have been slashed and the permitted travel charges for all allied health therapists have been halved, and this was done with less than three weeks notice. Allied health professionals in my electorate tell me that their businesses may be unsustainable with these changes. The new pricing will force them to discontinue some services. These services are complex, specialised and largely delivered by women, who are highly valued by their clients.

Heather, the mother of a five-year-old daughter with cerebral palsy, was in tears as she told me about the hours she'd spent building a team of therapists to provide the specialised support her daughter needs. She is in despair thinking of those therapists withdrawing their home and school visits because they can't make the numbers add up under the new prices. Similarly, families of people with complex mental health needs say their progress will be threatened without home based therapy support. While I recognise the need to limit costs within the scheme, I urge the minister to reconsider these changes, given their impact on participants who require significant support.