Dietitians

Find the information you need to deliver and claim for services to Veteran Card holders.

If you’re a member of the veteran community, go to Dietetic services.

DVA Forms

Visit Provider forms to access all the forms you need to do business with us. This includes forms for prior financial authorisation, and Rehabilitation Appliances Program (RAP) orders and claims.

Become a DVA health care provider

Register as a DVA health care provider so you can provide and claim services for DVA clients. 

Services covered by Veteran Cards – Gold and White

Please check full details about card entitlements to ensure your client’s condition is covered at Providing treatment to DVA clients.

A Veteran Card – Gold or White covers dietetic services that are clinically necessary:

• for all conditions, if the patient holds a Veteran Gold Card
• for accepted service-related conditions only, if the patient holds a Veteran White Card.

Information on how you check the eligibility of a Veteran Card holder to receive treatment is available at:

• Providing treatment to DVA clients.

Referrals and treatment cycle

If you are treating a Veteran Card holder, they will need a valid referral from their usual treating general practitioner (GP). For an initial treatment cycle, the referral could alternatively come from a:

• medical specialist
• treating hospital doctor
• hospital discharge planner.

Under DVA treatment cycle arrangements, a referral to an allied health provider will last up to 12 sessions or one year, whichever ends first.

Once a treatment cycle has ended, the client needs a new referral from their GP before you can provide further treatment. The client can have as many treatment cycles as their GP determines are clinically necessary.

For full details about the treatment cycle and referral arrangements, please check Treatment cycle information for allied health providers. 

DVA Provider Notes

By accepting a patient’s Veteran Card – Gold or White, you agree to follow the Notes that apply to your profession.

The Notes are legally binding, and it is your responsibility to become familiar with them. They are divided into two sections, and you need to comply with both. The first section relates to allied health providers generally and is labelled - Notes for allied health providers — section 1 — general. The second section relates to your specific discipline and can be found under the heading - Notes for allied health providers — section 2(e) — dieticians.

For your profession’s up-to-date Notes, visit Fees & guidelines for allied health providers.

Schedule of Fees

The Schedule of Fees – (Dietitians) defines the treatments and services you can provide to DVA clients and the payment amounts you can claim.

By accepting a Veteran Card – Gold or White, you agree to accept the DVA fee as full payment. You cannot charge the Veteran Card holder any ‘gap’ fee.

For your profession’s up-to-date schedule, visit DVA Fee Schedules.

Claiming

Visit Provider claiming for full details on how to claim payment from us.

Please note you are responsible for your provider number and you will be accountable for any claiming errors.

If someone else submits claims on your behalf, you should ensure they do not make any mistakes.

Your provider number cannot be shared, and multiple providers cannot claim under the one provider number. The provider who owns the number will bear the consequences of misuse.

For invoicing and billing enquiries, call 1300 550 017.

Your obligations

Each year we review unusual provider claiming, which may result in an education process or financial recoveries.

For full details about complying with DVA requirements, please refer to Provider compliance.

Common compliance issues

Before you treat a DVA client, please check the Schedule of Fees and Notes for Providers for full details about limits and restrictions on dietetic services.

Some common compliance issues are outlined below. Please note these are not exhaustive and you must check the Schedule of Fees for complete details about your profession’s Schedule of Fees item numbers.

Consultations

Initial consultations claimed under Items DT01 to DT06 are expected to take between 30 and 60 minutes. This timeframe should be adequate to cover the following services:

• nutrition assessment, diagnosis and advice
• body composition analysis
• meal and menu ideas
• nutrition coaching and counselling.

You cannot claim for these services separately, and in addition to the initial consultation, using Diet Analysis Items DT40 and DT41, or Menu Services Item DT50, except in certain circumstances (see below).

A subsequent consultation cannot be claimed on the same day as an initial consultation for the same client.

Diet analysis and menu services

Claims for diet analysis and menu services can only be made where treatment has been beyond what is already provided within a standard consultation. 

You can claim diet analysis items DT40-DT45, and menu services item DT50, if the client has an additional clinical need such as a complex condition.

You can provide diet analysis if:

• you have the required training and expertise, as recognised by your professional body
• the service is within your professional scope of practice
• you apply the appropriate clinical protocols.

You cannot claim as an expense the use of non-medical or non-clinical equipment, such as body composition analysis scales which are intended for home use only.

Extended consultations

Dietitians need to ensure they do not claim for excessive sessions of extended consultations.

Extended consultation items can only be used if the client has:

• complex clinical needs or multiple conditions
• needs that clinically require more time than a standard dietetic session can cover.

This applies to:

• extended initial consultation items DT10 to DT15
• subsequent consultation – extended presentation items DT30 to DT35.

Kilometre allowance

We may pay a kilometre allowance if:

• you are not a mobile provider
• you have a fixed practice location
• there is a genuine need to visit a client at home
• your client’s home is more than 10 km from their nearest dietetics clinic.

We will only pay the allowance for the part of your trip that is more than 10 km from the practice nearest to the client.   

Prior financial authorisation

In exceptional circumstances, you may claim payment for treatments not included in the Schedule of Fees, if they:

• can be clinically justified for the client’s referred condition
• are evidence-based.

You must ask us for prior financial authorisation before providing the treatment.

To submit a request, please complete the D1328 Treatment Prior Financial Authorisation Request Form and email it to health.approval@dva.gov.au.

Medicinal nutritional supplements

As a dietitian you can recommend that a DVA client is prescribed medicinal nutritional supplements, if the supplements are clinically necessary to support the client’s referred condition.

Your recommendation needs to be sent to the client’s General Practitioner and to the Veterans’ Affairs Pharmaceutical Advisory Centre (VAPAC).

The doctor will need to obtain prior approval for an RPBS Authority prescription.  This is done by contacting the VAPAC. The approved prescription is dispensed at the client’s pharmacy.   

For full details, please refer to this form: Request for nutritional supplementation. 

For inquiries, call VAPAC on 1800 552 580 or email ppo@dva.gov.au

Rehabilitation Appliances Program (RAP)

Dietitians can prescribe aids and appliances to eligible Veteran Card holders through the RAP National Schedule of Equipment.

The item must be clinically necessary and support the patient’s referred condition.

You cannot supply these items yourself. You need to place an order through RAP, using the relevant RAP Form. The items will be supplied directly by a DVA-contracted RAP supplier.

Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACF)

Access to allied health care services and the Rehabilitation Aids Program (RAP) is available to eligible DVA clients in residential aged care, regardless of their care level. 

For full details, please refer to DVA Provider News article, All veterans in age care now eligible to access allied health services.

Useful links

Health services for the veteran community

Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling

Travel for a client's treatment

Training for providers

Research 

Health Providers' Partnership Forum (HPPF)

Contact us