Government and community services must ensure all Australians, including people with disability, have access to their supports.
We call these supports mainstream and community supports.
The NDIS was set up to work alongside government and community services, not replace them.
Learn more about Mainstream and community supports.
What help can you get through Medicare?
Medicare helps all Australians with the costs of their health care. Medicare will help pay for services to test for and diagnose health conditions, such as dysphagia.
Medicare is also responsible for providing support for dysphagia while you are in hospital.
Remember, if another service is most appropriate to fund dysphagia supports for you or they are not related to your disability, we can’t fund them.
You may also be able to get short term access to a speech pathologist through Medicare.
If your dysphagia gets worse, your speech pathologist or doctor will arrange for you to have tests. The health system is responsible for this.
The tests will help to work out what treatment you might need, including if you need to go to hospital.
For example, if you develop pneumonia because of dysphagia. The health system will fund these tests and your supports while you are in hospital.
If you don’t have dysphagia but are at risk of developing it, your doctor or allied health professionals will keep an eye on that.
If they think you may have dysphagia, they’ll send you for tests in the health system to confirm this.
If you or the people that help you notice any changes in your ability to swallow, you should tell your doctor or speech pathologist.
Learn more about Medicare .
What can you get through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme?
The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme funds some products you may use for dysphagia, including nutritional drinks and supplements.
If you can get what you need through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, we won’t fund it.
Learn more about the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme .