Australia Moves to Axe Health Tax on Exercise Therapy

Jenny Dogue can garden again, climb stairs without struggling, and live the active life she thought chronic lung disease had stolen from her forever.

Her secret? Working with an exercise physiologist who designed specific workouts to treat her condition. But there's a catch that makes no sense: unlike nearly every other health service in Australia, exercise physiology comes with a 10% tax that gets passed directly to patients.

Exercise and Sports Science Australia launched an "Axe the Tax" campaign this week to fix what they call discriminatory treatment. While Australians can see doctors, physiotherapists, and other allied health professionals GST-free, exercise physiologists remain the odd one out.

Tim Dogue, an exercise physiologist in Brisbane and Jenny's son, calls it an outrageous tax on the chronically ill. His clients deal with diabetes, arthritis, obesity, chronic pain, and serious injuries. They need targeted exercise programs just as much as they need traditional medical care.

The tax exists because of timing. When Australia created its GST in 2000, exercise physiology was too new to be recognized. Now the field has full backing from Medicare, the Department of Veteran Affairs, WorkCover, and the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Katie Lyndon, chief executive of the professional body, says the healthcare system has caught up with the science, but the tax code hasn't. In the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, vulnerable Australians are paying extra for essential care that should be treated like any other health service.

The Ripple Effect

For Jenny and her workout group, the benefits go beyond physical health. They celebrate each other's bone density scores over coffee, support one another through setbacks, and find friendship alongside fitness. Jenny jokes that she and her friends moved from sharing "whinge-uries" to strutting around feeling stronger and more confident.

Senator David Pocock plans to table the petition in federal parliament. The campaign has momentum, medical recognition, and thousands of Australians who know firsthand how exercise therapy transforms lives.

If successful, the change would mean more people could afford the care that helped Jenny reclaim her garden and her independence.