Occupational Therapy Australia has become the first major professional group to launch a concerted campaign to reverse its recent decision to slash prices paid for NDIS services. The organisation is urging members to meet their local MP’s to protest the move.

Occupational Therapy Australia (OTA) has launched an aggressive campaign against the National Disability Insurance Agency’s (NDIA) latest pricing decision to slash travel reimbursements by 50% and continuing a freeze on hourly rates for occupational therapists (OTs).

The organisation claims these changes threaten the viability of OT services, particularly in rural and mobile settings, and may force providers to withdraw from communities altogether.

Over 15,000 people have already signed OTA’s online petition opposing the cuts with a further thousand contacting their local MPs using OTA’s email tool. The organisation is calling for an immediate 7% price increase and a restructured pricing model to reflect the actual costs of delivering specialist allied health services under the NDIS.

The announcement of the NDIA’s 2025–26 pricing decision has only intensified OTA’s campaign. The organisation says therapy rates have now been frozen for a staggering seventh year, while travel funding has been slashed in half, putting further pressure on an already strained workforce.

OTA warns these changes will have a cascading effect: services may be cut, therapists could abandon remote areas, and some providers may withdraw from the scheme altogether.

This petition is part of a broader, multi-pronged advocacy push that includes direct engagement with ministers, coordinated media outreach, and grassroots lobbying via local MPs. OTA believes the campaign’s strength lies in its visibility and volume—and is banking on that pressure to force a policy rethink.

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A concerted push for change

OTA is also lobbying heavily behind the scenes. It has met with senior government figures including the offices of NDIS Minister Jenny McAllister, Health Minister Mark Butler, and Senator Jacqui Lambie—who has publicly backed the profession.

In a passionate opinion piece in the Hobart Mercury, Lambie stated that if the price changes are accepted and implemented by the NDIS, “it will result in the loss of services for Tasmanians most in need. The unintended consequences of these recommendations are really bad! These therapy services are not lifestyle choices for NDIS participants!!”

OTA has also been attempting to ramp up political and public pressure through a further series of strategic meetings and media efforts. It has raised concerns with the NDIS Quality & Safeguards Commissioner and senior NDIA staff, secured public backing from Senator Jacqui Lambie and the Australian Greens, and engaged opposition figures including Pat Conaghan MP and Tasmanian Labor Leader Dean Winter.

The association is also coordinating with other allied health peaks through Allied Health Professions Australia and collecting member case studies to illustrate the real-world impact of the cuts, including via media coverage on ABC Radio Hobart.

OTA is coordinating it’s protests with other allied health peaks and has garnered support from the Greens and members of the opposition. A joint statement with Allied Health Professions Australia outlines their united stance.

But while OTA frames the fight as one of survival—not profit—the push does warrant scrutiny. The government says the NDIA’s reforms are aimed at curbing perceived price inflation, and the agency has flagged inconsistencies between allied health charges under the NDIS versus Medicare.

It’s unclear whether OTA’s proposed 7% uplift is based on transparent data or lobbying momentum.

Still, the campaign taps into broader sector anxiety about undervalued care, especially as OTs face growing demand and increasing workloads. OTA’s next move? Encouraging therapists and participants alike to pressure MPs, complete impact surveys, and amplify media attention.

Whether this will shift policy—or stall at performative protest—remains to be seen.