Improving wellbeing through increased access to treatment
An improved approach to supporting your health
The Australian Government continues to invest in improving the health and wellbeing of serving and ex-serving members of the Australian Defence Force by prioritising prevention, treatment and rehabilitation services.
DVA is committed to keeping the nation’s promise to look after those who serve or have served, and the families who support them. We are dedicated to ensuring veterans can access the best possible treatment and care to support their lifetime wellbeing.
The longstanding commitment to provide fully funded treatment has always been a part of Australia’s veterans’ support system. In December 2025, the Government announced a renewed focus on ensuring that treatment, rehabilitation and compensation work together to achieve better wellbeing outcomes for veterans and their families.
This renewed focus strengthens improved access to treatment — ensuring veterans can receive timely, evidence based care to support wellbeing, recovery and long term quality of life across a wide range of health conditions.
As part of this commitment, the Government is investing $739.2 million over four years from 2025–26 (with $130.2 million in 2029–30 and $159.3 million per year ongoing from 2030–31) to prioritise and expand access to modern prevention and early rehabilitative treatment. This investment aims to support veterans earlier, before conditions deteriorate or become chronic, and to improve long‑term health, wellbeing and quality of life.
Back to topWhy early access to treatment matters
Modern clinical evidence shows that accessing the right treatment early helps to:
- improve daily functioning
- reduce long term impairment
- prevent conditions from worsening, and
- deliver better outcomes and significantly improve long-term quality of life.
This initiative builds on a renewed focus on the lifetime wellbeing of veterans and families of veterans. It also forms part of the Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, recognising that fostering wellbeing is an important protective factor against suicide.
The initiative supports the transition to a single ongoing Act for veterans’ entitlements from 1 July 2026, accompanied by increased investment in rehabilitation, treatment and mental health supports.
Back to topImproving access to treatment and rehabilitation
DVA is improving access to treatment and rehabilitation for current and ex‑serving ADF personnel to give them the best opportunity to address health conditions early, before they deteriorate or become chronic.
Veterans will benefit from access to a broad range of treatment and rehabilitation options, including innovative and evidence‑based treatments at the forefront of modern medicine. These include rehabilitation programs for joint pain, PTSD and other mental health conditions, as well as improved access to specialised treatment for conditions such as tinnitus, where early assessment and intervention can improve daily functioning and quality of life.
As part of this work, DVA is also working more closely with Defence to strengthen preventative approaches that help avoid or mitigate injuries during service. By emphasising prevention and improving access to treatment during and after service, these measures aim to deliver better long‑term health and wellbeing outcomes for serving members and veterans.
Back to topWhat this means for your claim
After an Initial Liability claim is accepted, DVA will work with veterans and their treating healthcare provider to ensure appropriate, evidence‑based care is provided and fully funded by DVA for accepted conditions.
DVA continues to make good progress in timely decision‑making at the initial liability stage. New claims are routinely triaged and allocated within 14 days, and decisions on claims lodged in the past twelve months are being made in around 110 days. DVA continues to work towards meeting the 90‑day timeframe set out in the Australian Veterans’ Recognition (Putting Veterans and Their Families First) Act 2019.
This means veterans can access full health services and, where eligible, incapacity payments while a permanent impairment (PI) claim is being assessed.
When a course of treatment concludes, the treating healthcare provider will provide DVA with an assessment of ongoing support needs, including information relevant to a potential PI claim, where indicated.
As part of this process, the treating healthcare provider will document treatment outcomes and provide clinical advice that supports DVA’s assessment of whether there is any degree of permanent impairment.
DVA will continue to communicate with veterans about the progress of their individual claims. While treatment is ongoing, veterans can continue to access entitlements and supports, including incapacity payments where they are experiencing economic loss due to a reduced capacity to work because of service‑related conditions. This support helps veterans maintain financial stability while focusing on their treatment and wellbeing.
For veterans intending to submit a new PI claim, or who are waiting for a PI claim to be finalised, DVA will contact them if there are treatments that could reasonably be expected to be beneficial for accepted conditions. This enables DVA to facilitate timely access to treatment so that permanent impairment claims can be assessed as soon as possible after treatment has concluded.
Back to topWhich conditions are now included in the Improved Access to Treatment initiative for Permanent Impairment claims?
Tinnitus
Tinnitus is a condition where a person experiences ringing, buzzing, or hissing sounds in their ears or head. The loudness and pitch of these sounds can vary.
Yes, you can take preventive steps to help reduce the risk of suffering from tinnitus by:
- Protect your hearing: use earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones when you’re around loud sounds, such as machinery, concerts or firearms.
- Limit exposure to loud noises: try to avoid noisy environments where you can or take regular breaks to give your ears time to recover.
- Manage stress: stress can make tinnitus worse. Simple strategies like breathing exercises, physical activity or taking time to relax can help.
- Watch caffeine and alcohol intake: too much caffeine or alcohol can worsen symptoms for some people, so it can help to cut back if needed.
- Monitor your condition and seek help: if you already have tinnitus, identifying any changes early and seeking treatment for your condition can reduce your risk of your tinnitus getting worse.
Tinnitus is very treatable. Although it may not disappear completely, most people find that with the right help, it becomes far less noticeable and doesn’t affect their daily life as much. Tinnitus treatment focuses on:
- avoiding things that make tinnitus worse (including protecting your hearing)
- improving how your brain responds to sounds
- making the noise bother you less
- helping you cope better day-to-day
Depending on the severity, different treatment options may be recommended. Masking and sound therapy are common ways to help tinnitus feel less bothersome. Listening to calming sounds like music or ocean waves can also help to relieve tinnitus. If you have hearing loss as well as tinnitus, hearing aids can help. If hearing aids are not suitable, a tinnitus device may help instead. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) provided by a psychologist can help to reduce the impact of tinnitus and CBT and psychological support can help reduce the stress that can come with major level tinnitus, as can Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) to improve sleep. TRT can be a combination of counselling and sound therapy to reduce both the perception of tinnitus and your response.
DVA has partnered with Hearing Australia to ensure a person receives timely access to advanced treatments for their tinnitus. By partnering with Hearing Australia this will promote a consistent and seamless experience for veterans who are experiencing symptoms impacting their daily lives and functioning. Eligible people will be referred by DVA to Hearing Australia for an initial assessment and treatment.
A Hearing Australia referral will be made for a person who has tinnitus accepted by DVA as service-related and is undergoing an assessment for permanent impairment compensation.
DVA may contact you directly to help you access an assessment and treatment for tinnitus, with the aim of supporting symptom management and improving daily functioning and wellbeing where you have claimed a permanent impairment resulting from your tinnitus.
DVA will communicate directly with you and send you a referral letter with information about how to arrange your Hearing Australia assessment. As part of this process, DVA shares relevant information with Hearing Australia (HA) to help ensure you receive the most appropriate treatment. Your approved treatment will be fully funded by DVA, and HA will monitor your progress during the treatment period. Once treatment is complete, Hearing Australia will give DVA and Defence (if you are a serving member or reservist) an assessment of your impairment level, which can help with any future treatment and support your permanent impairment claim.
You may be required to complete an assessment and receive reasonable treatment to improve your tinnitus, whether you are a serving member, reservist, or veteran. Assessment and treatment might also be a requirement where a re-assessment has been requested, depending on previous impairment levels.
Tinnitus severity can vary ranging from mild to moderate to major. It is often measured using questionnaires such as the Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI).
- Mild (TFI less than 32): tinnitus may only be present occasionally and does not usually interfere with your life.
- Moderate (TFI score 32-53): tinnitus is present every day, but most of the time you can cope ok. There may be bad days, but you don’t need support, masking, or devices all the time.
- Major (TFI score 54 or more): tinnitus is always present and often interferes with your life. You use some kind of masking or device every day, and that’s often not enough. Your tinnitus may be affecting your mood, your sleep, or your work. Very severe tinnitus can cause significant discomfort and distress.