Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment (Veterans' Healthcare Without Caps) Bill 2026

Summary

Veterans with accepted service-related injuries or diseases will no longer face limits on how much their healthcare can cost, how many times they can access treatment, or how much can be spent in a given year. The change amends the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 by adding a new rule that prevents caps on treatment costs or frequency, meaning eligibility will depend on what doctors say a veteran actually needs, not on budget thresholds. This addresses a problem where existing cost or visit limits forced veterans and their doctors to navigate extra paperwork and uncertainty, sometimes delaying or preventing necessary care. The government says this responds to recommendations from the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide and reflects Australia's responsibility to support those who have served.

What happens at this stage

The final vote in this chamber on the bill as a whole, after all amendments have been considered. If it passes, the bill moves to the other chamber to go through the same process. If both chambers have already agreed to identical text, the bill proceeds directly to Royal Assent.

Next: The other chamber, which runs the same process from First Reading, or Royal Assent if both chambers have already agreed