Article at a glance
- Gold Card covers physio for any condition; White Card covers it for accepted conditions only.
- You need a GP referral, which starts a treatment cycle.
- A cycle is up to 12 sessions or 12 months, whichever ends first, then a GP review.
- No cost to you with a DVA-registered provider, and no limit on the number of cycles.
If you hold a Veteran Card, DVA covers physiotherapy, and for most veterans it costs nothing. The part that trips people up is not whether it is covered, but how to access it: the card you hold, the referral you need, and the treatment cycle that governs how many sessions you get.
This guide explains what DVA covers, how to get it, and what it costs. For the conditions physio often treats, see our DVA medical conditions hub.
What DVA covers
What is covered comes down to which Veteran Card you hold.
- Veteran Gold Card covers clinically necessary physiotherapy for all of your conditions, whether or not they are service-related.
- Veteran White Card covers physiotherapy for the specific conditions DVA has accepted as service-related. If a condition has not been accepted yet, treatment for it is not covered under the White Card until it is.
In practice, physiotherapy under DVA covers the things veterans need most: managing chronic musculoskeletal pain, rehabilitation after surgery or injury, improving mobility and strength, and falls prevention. If you hold a White Card and the condition you want treated is not yet accepted, that is really a claims question, our guide on getting the right diagnosis is the place to start.
How to access it, step by step
DVA physiotherapy runs on a referral system called the treatment cycle. It is simpler than it sounds.
- See your GP. Explain the problem and that you would like physiotherapy. Your GP is your care coordinator under DVA.
- Get a referral. If physio is clinically appropriate, your GP writes a referral naming the condition to be treated. This starts a treatment cycle. A specialist doctor or hospital discharge planner can also make the initial referral.
- Choose a DVA-registered physiotherapist. This matters, DVA can only pay providers who are registered and accept your Veteran Card.
- Have your sessions. A referral covers up to 12 sessions or 12 months, whichever ends first.
- Review with your GP. At the end of the cycle you go back to your GP, who can issue a new referral for another cycle if further treatment is needed. There is no limit on the number of cycles.
What it costs
For clinically necessary treatment from a DVA-registered physiotherapist who accepts your Veteran Card, there is no cost to you, the provider bills DVA directly. The key is making sure your physio is registered with DVA before you start, because DVA cannot pay for treatment from a provider who is not. If a clinic charges a fee for missed appointments, that fee can still be yours to pay, so it is worth asking about their policy when you book.
If you hold a TPI Gold Card
The treatment cycle does not apply to physiotherapy for veterans who hold a Gold Card embossed with TPI (this includes those receiving the Special Rate Disability Pension under the MRCA). If that is you, you can have as many physiotherapy sessions as are clinically necessary under your referral, without the 12-session limit. Your treatment still needs to be clinically necessary and goal-focused.
Frequently asked questions
Need a condition accepted so you can get treatment?
If a White Card condition has not been accepted yet, our expert team can help you get the claim lodged and supported, so the treatment you need is covered.
Related from KSC Law
- DVA medical conditions hub
- Getting the right DVA diagnosis
- DVA glossary of terms and acronyms
- DVA claims and the claims process
External resources
Frequently asked questions
Yes. You need a referral from your GP (or, for an initial cycle, a specialist doctor or hospital discharge planner). The referral names the condition to be treated and starts your treatment cycle.
A referral covers up to 12 sessions or 12 months, whichever comes first. After that you see your GP for a review, and they can refer you for another cycle if it is clinically necessary. There is no cap on the number of cycles. TPI Gold Card holders are exempt from the 12-session limit for physio.
Not for that condition, until it is accepted. The White Card only covers treatment for conditions DVA has accepted as service-related. If you think a condition should be accepted, that is a claim, and it is worth getting it lodged and supported properly. Our team can help.