Veterans Lay Down Medals in Front of Parliament in Protest Over $5,000 Treatment Cap

The Labor government is facing pressure to scrap its $5,000 (US$3,600) cap on how much veterans can claim allied health services.

Former servicemen laid down their medals outside Parliament House on Sept. 7 and plan to meet with the prime minister, veterans affairs minister and other MPs during the parliamentary sitting week.

The cap limits government funding for allied health treatments, including physiotherapy, psychology, occupational therapy and rehabilitation, to $5,000 a year per veteran.

The measure, introduced in the May federal budget, aims to save $748 million, according to the government (pdf).

In statement to The Epoch Times, the Coalition of Veterans’ Voices claimed the changes were ushered in “without consultation.”

“That consultation should have taken place before the cap was announced. Instead, the 10 percent of veterans who are most unwell and need treatment above $5,000 a year have been left with months of anxiety,” the group said in a statement.

The Coalition also wants the government to restore veterans’ right to choose their own accredited assessment provider and are calling for an independent inquiry into Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) claims processing.

The group claim DVA 103,074 claims waiting as of June 30, 2026.

The Epoch Times has contacted the Department of Veterans’ Affairs for comment.

Fair Care for Veterans spokesman John Armfield said defence personnel were promised that their “country will not abandon you.”

“Australia asks extraordinary things of the men and women who serve in its Defence Force. We ask them to surrender freedoms that other Australians take for granted,” he said in the statement.

Meanwhile, president of the Women Veterans Network Australia, Melanie Annand, said the cap created another barrier for veterans.

“You cannot say you are improving veteran wellbeing while making healthcare harder to access,” she said.

“Introducing these changes without meaningful consultation with veterans or health providers is not veteran-centred, not trauma-informed and risks making an already complex system even harder to navigate.”

Near $170 Million to ‘Support Veterans’: Government

Government statements show the May budget provided $169.7 million over five years from 2025-26 to lift allied health fees for veteran card holders from July 1, 2027.

This means higher fees will be paid to physiotherapists, psychologists, and other health providers.

“This is the largest increase in allied health fees in over 20 years and will increase access and choice for veterans when accessing the support they need,” the government claims (pdf).

Meanwhile, Health Minister Mark Butler defended the changes, saying the government would consult extensively.

“I get there’s a lot of concern and anxiety about this,” he told ABC Radio.

“These changes aren’t scheduled to take place until mid next year, and we want to make sure that the changes operate in the best interests of veterans.”