8.5 Transferring the cost of treatment from the ADF to DVA

19 June 2020: any MRCA Treatment Pathway 1 and Treatment Pathway 2 information below has been retained for historical purposes only.  A Single Treatment Pathway has been in effect since 12 December 2019. See section 8.1 Overview for current information.

Full-time permament ADF members are entitled to health care under the Defence Regulations and therefore will not usually be provided with treatment under the MRCA while they continue to serve. 

However, sections 272 and 279 of the MRCA allow for the MRCC to determine, after considering advice from the Chief of the Defence Force, that it is more appropriate for the MRCC to provide treatment to a serving member. In all other cases, serving members are provided with treatment for injuries or diseases under the Defence Regulations.

The Chief of the Defence Force has delegated his functions and powers under section 272 and 279 of the MRCA to any of the following positions:

• Director Army health;
• Director General Garrison Health Operations, Joint Health Command; and
• Senior Medical Advisor, Garrison Health Operations, Joint Health Command.

Therefore, requests to transfer the cost of certain treatment from Defence to DVA, can only be considered when the request is made by a person in one of these positions. Please refer to Health Information and Management Note (HIMN) No 02/2017 in the Health Procedure Library for further information about how to progress these requests.

It is important to note that the intent of the legislation expressed in Clause 279 of the Explanatory Memorandum of the MRCA is that Repatriation Health Cards will not be issued to serving members. Therefore, where the MRCC has agreed to provide treatment for a serving member, such as chiropractic treatment, as a matter of policy DVA should only be reimbursing the member (Treatment Pathway 1). This will enable the ADF Medical Officer to continue to manage and coordinate the member's treatment needs and deployability, while DVA meets the cost of that treatment.