Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment (Veterans' Healthcare Without Caps) Bill 2026

Senator LAMBIE (Tasmania) (16:04): I move: That this bill be now read a second time. I seek leave to table an explanatory memorandum relating to the bill. Leave granted.

Senator LAMBIE: I table an explanatory memorandum and seek leave to have the second reading speech incorporated in Hansard. Leave granted. The speech read as follows— The Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment (Veterans' Healthcare Without Caps) Bill 2026 seeks to ensure that veterans' treatment for accepted service-related injuries, diseases or conditions should be determined by clinical need and not by an arbitrary cap.

This Bill is about a very simple principle: if a veteran needs treatment because of their service, they should be able to get that treatment. It should not come down to a number on a spreadsheet and a limit imposed by Canberra. The final report of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide stated: "Aspects of DVA culture, processes and systems have been consistently highlighted in previous reviews as negatively affecting the mental health and wellbeing of ex-serving ADF members." The Commissioners were clear that access to timely health supports is key to addressing the rates of veteran suicide.

We have seen the government move towards a $5,000 threshold for allied health services. The government says it is not a cap because veterans can apply for additional treatment once they reach that threshold. But let's be honest about what that means.

A veteran who needs ongoing physiotherapy, occupational therapy, psychology, exercise physiology or other allied health services may reach that threshold. The Veteran then has to go through another process and seek approval should they exceed the cap. How can veterans seriously believe the Department of Veterans' Affairs will quickly approve additional treatment when the average MRCA liability claim takes over 300 days to process?

For some veterans, these services are not optional extras. They are what allows them to walk, work, manage pain, maintain their independence and participate in family and community life. The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide made it clear that timely, accessible and ongoing healthcare matters.

Recommendations 71 and 72 are directly concerned with improving access to healthcare for veterans and strengthening the health system that supports them. This Bill says that where a veteran has an existing entitlement to treatment, that entitlement should not be cut off because a particular amount of money has been spent or because a particular number of services has been used.

That means no arbitrary limit on allied health treatment where more treatment is clinically required. It also means the same principle can apply across other healthcare settings where necessary treatment is required. Veterans may require ongoing treatment from general practitioners and medical specialists, hospital and rehabilitation services, mental health professionals and other appropriately qualified health professionals.

For some veterans, these services may be required regularly or over many years because of the nature of their service-related injury or disease. Their access to necessary treatment should not be restricted simply because a predetermined financial or numerical threshold has been reached. I also want to be clear about what this Bill does not do.

It does not mean there should be no oversight or that every treatment must automatically be funded. There should still be proper clinical governance and standards for quality and safety as well as safeguards against fraud, abuse and inappropriate provider conduct. But those safeguards should not be confused with an arbitrary financial cap.

I am calling on the major parties to put the interests of veterans first and support this Bill. Veterans should not have to wait for another review, consultation or approval process before they can access the treatment they need. This is about making sure that when a veteran has an accepted service-related injury or disease, they can get clinically necessary treatment when they need it.

Senator LAMBIE: I seek leave to continue my remarks later. Leave granted; debate adjourned.