With a Veteran Card, your provider bills DVA at the DVA rate and can't charge you a gap fee. You can see a GP without a referral, but you need a referral from your GP or a specialist for DVA to pay for allied health such as physiotherapy, and a written referral for community nursing. Treatment that isn't on the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS), and medicines that aren't on the PBS or RPBS, need DVA's prior approval. Your provider asks for approval, not you.
What each Veteran Card covers
| Card | What DVA pays for when clinically required |
|---|---|
| Veteran Card – All Conditions (Gold Card) | MBS-listed treatment and allied health for all conditions, non-MBS treatment with prior approval, and PBS or RPBS medicines |
| Veteran Card – Specific Conditions (White Card) | The same, but only for your accepted conditions, plus mental health care for a diagnosed mental health condition and any other conditions covered by non-liability health care |
| Veteran Card – Pharmaceuticals Only (Orange Card) | PBS or RPBS medicines for all conditions |
You can see the conditions your card covers in MyService under Cards, or in the myGov wallet through Manage your card. White Card holders should show a new provider this list at the first visit.
DVA referrals
| Service | Referral needed | How long it lasts |
|---|---|---|
| GP | No | Not applicable |
| Medical specialist | Yes, from your GP, as for anyone else | Usual referral rules |
| Allied health and psychology | Yes, from your usual GP, or first from a specialist, treating hospital doctor or discharge planner | 12 sessions or one year, whichever ends first |
| Dental and optical | No | Not applicable |
| Community nursing | Yes, written, sent to a DVA-contracted provider | 12 months from a GP, 6 weeks from a hospital |
Allied health referrals and the treatment cycle
An allied health referral covers one treatment cycle of up to 12 sessions or one year. At the end, the provider sends your GP a report, and your GP decides with you whether you need another referral. There's no limit on the number of cycles, and you can have cycles with different providers at the same time. The cycle covers physiotherapy, exercise physiology, occupational therapy, podiatry, chiropractic, osteopathy, dietetics, diabetes education, speech pathology, orthotics, psychology, clinical psychology, neuropsychology and social work, including the mental health versions. TPI Gold Card holders are exempt for physiotherapy and exercise physiology.
Read more about DVA allied health and the treatment cycle
What a D904 referral is
The D0904 DVA Request/Referral Voucher, often called the D904, is a template doctors can use to refer you to another provider. Your GP doesn't have to use it and can write the referral on their own stationery, but it must include:
- your full name and DVA file number
- your card type, and your accepted conditions if you have a White Card
- the referring doctor's name and provider number, and that they are your usual GP, a specialist or involved after a hospital discharge
- the date of referral
- the name of your aged care home, if you live in one
- relevant clinical details and the condition to be treated
- other health providers treating you
The form isn't sent to DVA. It goes to the provider you're being referred to.
The At Risk Client Framework
If the 12-session treatment cycle doesn't suit you, your usual GP can set up a tailored referral arrangement under DVA's At Risk Client Framework. It's for people with complex psychosocial factors, severe health needs or severe functional impairment. Tailored arrangements can run for 3, 6 or 12 months.
Your GP completes the At Risk Client Assessment Form with a clinical justification specific to you and sends it to DVA. DVA doesn't need to approve it before the referral goes ahead. At the end of the period, your GP reviews whether you should stay on a tailored arrangement or return to the treatment cycle. Your GP may also suggest the Coordinated Veterans' Care program.
DVA prior approval
DVA must approve these before you get them:
- treatment that isn't listed on the MBS
- medicines that aren't on the PBS or RPBS, which DVA's pharmacists approve
- allied health and dental items marked for prior approval in DVA's fee schedules
- dental check-ups more often than every six months, and dental implants
- some aids and equipment
Your provider applies to DVA. An MRI or PET scan doesn't need prior approval if it has an MBS item number, the MBS fee is charged, and you have a Gold Card or the scan is for an accepted White Card condition. DVA asks imaging clinics not to book a scan that needs approval until DVA has approved it.
DVA won't pay if prior approval was needed and not obtained, if the person treated wasn't eligible, or if the provider isn't authorised by DVA. Ask your provider whether approval is in place before treatment starts.
Finding a doctor who accepts your Veteran Card
DVA suggests starting with the Find a health service tool on the healthdirect website, which you can search by provider type and postcode. Some providers note in their profile that they accept DVA clients. You can also call DVA on 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372) for help finding a provider.
Always ask whether the practice accepts your Veteran Card as full payment before you book. If your regular provider doesn't, another provider will. You can choose to be treated as a Medicare or private patient, but DVA won't then pay for anything Medicare, private health insurance or third-party compensation has paid for.
Read DVA's guide to finding a health provider
If you get a bill
If a provider that accepted your card sends you a bill for covered treatment, don't pay it. Contact DVA on 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372).
Read DVA's Veteran Card, prior approval and referral information
Common questions
Do I need a referral to see an allied health provider?
Yes. DVA only pays for physiotherapy and other allied health with a referral from your GP or a medical specialist, or a hospital doctor or discharge planner when you leave hospital. Dental and optical care don't need a referral.
Is a D904 referral the only form DVA accepts?
No. The D0904 is a template. Any referral with the information DVA requires is accepted.
How do I find DVA doctors near me?
Search healthdirect's Find a health service by postcode, then call the practice to confirm it accepts the Veteran Card before you book.
Checked against DVA's website on 25 September 2026.