The Review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), revealed an extensive range of issues involving abuse of the NDIS funding rules across many services.
There is no doubt that the new NDIS Supports Rules, which now seem to limit funding for disability health and wellbeing services to Medicare eligible AHPRA registered practitioners, are there to curb spiralling costs and the abuse of the system.
Ann Davey CEO, Massage & Myotherapy Australia said, 'Before the changes, qualified remedial massage therapists and myotherapists (qualified massage therapists) provided reliable services to thousands of NDIS clients who depended on them to maintain health and wellbeing, improve mobility, and reduce disability related pain and stress.'
The new NDIS Supports Rules which now exclude qualified massage therapists has caused widespread concern, misinformation and dismay in the sector.
Paradoxically however, requirements to become an accredited member of a professional association for massage therapists such as Massage & Myotherapy Australia mirror AHPRA registration requirements.
Mrs Davey said, 'These massage therapists are still health professionals who hold nationally recognised qualifications, and annually reviewed membership with accredited associations in order to become registered Providers to many other insurance schemes including: WorkSafe Vic, WorkSafe SA, WorkSafe Tas, the National Aged Care Package, and the Private Health Insurance Rebates scheme.
'Given that these schemes recognise qualified remedial massage therapists and myotherapists alongside allied health practitioners, the exclusion of qualified massage therapists seems unscientific.'
Mrs Davey added that the insurance schemes provide working, profitable models and unlike the NDIS, have rate cards, which help to control expenditure and limit abuse. They should provide a reliable basis on which to determine eligibility for NDIS funding under a more inclusive service model that encourages and supports self-management and choice.'
Additionally, the training of qualified professional remedial massage therapists and myotherapists includes a primary study focus on massage and undertaking approximately 1,000 hours of supervised training. In contrast allied health qualifications do not include training in massage therapy, unless undertaken as additional short units of competency with limited scope, yet they are still eligible under the new rules to provide massage therapy services.
Also, like AHPRA registered practitioners, professional qualified massage therapists and myotherapists must adhere to a Professional Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice which are similar to AHPRA-registered health practitioners' Codes and Guidelines.
Complaints and concerns can be raised about AHPRA-registered practitioners, as they can be about professional massage therapists through an independent National Ethics Committee. This is underpinned by legislation concerning the National Code of Conduct for Healthcare Workers, and includes state-based health complaints commissioners and ombudsmen with cross-jurisdictional information-sharing powers.
The wider health community also accepts and integrates qualified massage therapists when appropriate.
For example, the Massage & Myotherapy 2023 Practitioners Survey of its 8600 members indicated a high degree of integration within Australia's health system is well underway indicating that:
- 20% of massage therapy consultations are part of General Practitioner (GP) Health Plans
- Referrals from Registered Health Practitioners is a primary source of work for qualified massage therapists including referrals from:
- Allied Health Practitioners 30%
- Private Health Insurance 15%
- GP Referrals 12%
- Third party insurance coverage generates more than half (54%) of consultations and 18% of members work from allied health or medical settings.
'The lack of clarity in policy and legislation around qualified massage therapists in the NDIS is just another example of the poor level of literacy and understanding in government circles around these health professionals and the much-needed services they provide.
'On the one hand some state governments are encouraging sex workers to promote their services as legitimate massage therapy, while, qualified massage therapists are subject to prosecution under the National Code of Conduct for Health Workers, if they engage in relations with a client.
Additionally, like AHPRA registered health practitioners, professional qualified massage therapists must comply with the requirements of Health Insurance Funds to achieve accreditation as an Approved Provider and are subject to prosecution for fraudulent claims as health care professionals, yet the new NDIS rules fails to recognise or acknowledge them as legitimate health professional.
'This suggests the NDIS reforms that the exclude health care and wellbeing services provided by qualified massage therapists are over-zealous.
'More contemporary approaches to disability health care are available. They encourage inclusion, choice and self-determination, while managing costs and rogue behaviours without the loss of services that are in high demand.
'We hope that the abuses of the past are reigned in, but these problems are no reason to through the baby out with the bathwater by excluding health professionals that have provided valuable and much needed service,' Mrs Davey said.
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