National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)

Access Requirements for the NDIS
The NDIS provides a detailed summary of the access requirements for becoming a participant in the NDIS.
Phone: 1800 800 110

NDIS - People with Disability
If you qualify for NDIS assistance, speech pathology services are accessible through the funding provided to you.
Phone: 1800 800 110

NDIS – Our Sites
To find an NDIS office in your area.

NDIS – Examples of Services and Support
For examples of services and support as well as real life stories of participants involved with the NDIS.

National Health Services Directory
The National Health Services Directory allows you to search for speech pathology services in your local area. It is operated as a not-for-profit community resource by Healthdirect Australia on behalf of all Australian governments.
To speak to a registered nurse, call 1800 022 222

Medicare Benefits Schedule rebates for Individual Allied Health Services

Chronic Disease Management - Individual Allied Health Services under Medicare - Provider Information
A Medicare rebate is available for a maximum of five services per patient each calendar year.
For inquiries about eligibility, claiming, fees and rebates, call:
Patient inquiries 132 011
Provider inquiries 132 150

Helping Children with Autism Package

Under the Helping Children with Autism and Better Start for Children with Disability programs, a child can be referred by a consultant paediatrician or psychiatrist for the following allied health services:

• up to four diagnostic assessment services including speech pathologists to assist the referring practitioner with diagnosis or to contribute to a child’s treatment and management plan (for a child under 13 years of age).
• up to twenty treatment services including speech pathologists (for a child under 15 years of age, providing a treatment and management plan is in place before their 13th birthday).

These are the total number of services available to each child and is not an annual entitlement. Although funding for the HCWA and Better Start programs is transitioning to the NDIS, these Medicare items will continue to be available to eligible children, even if they become participants of the NDIS.

Helping Children with Autism
Provides funding for early intervention services for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Funded services include speech pathology. As the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is rolled out across Australia, children supported through HCWA will transition to the NDIS.
Phone: 1800 778 581 / Email: Early.Intervention@dss.gov.au

Helping Children with Autism Early Intervention Service Providers
The Australian Government Department of Social Services (DSS) has a searchable list of HCWA service providers with a description of the services offered and the fees associated with each therapy.

Early Intervention Services for Children with Disability
As the National Disability Insurance Scheme is rolled out across Australia, children supported through Helping Children with Autism Package will transition to the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
Phone: 1800 778 581

Better Start for Children with a Disability Program
Provides funding for early intervention services for children diagnosed with sight impairment, hearing impairment, deafblindness, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, Williams syndrome, Angelman syndrome, Kabuki syndrome, Smith-Magenis syndrome, CHARGE syndrome, cri du chat syndrome, Cornelia de Lange syndrome, microcephaly, Rett’s disorder (check full listing on the DSS website). Funded services include speech pathology. As the NDIS is rolled out across Australia, children supported through Better Start will transition to the NDIS.
Helpdesk: 1800 778 581 / Email: Early.Intervention@dss.gov.au

Better Start Early Intervention Service Providers
DSS has a searchable list of Better Start service providers with a description of the services offered and the fees associated with each therapy.

Raising Children Network (RCN) website
DSS funds the Raising Children Network to provide information to parents and carers about autism and other developmental disabilities including a search engine which allows users to select a provider by geographic area and the type of services provided, such as speech pathology. The site also provides information, online resources and interactive functions to support parents, carers and professionals. The website informs families and carers about better support for their children in the post diagnosis stage. It also provides information that helps families and carers to cope with pressures they face in raising their children and helps to maximise the day to day functioning of the family.
Website address: raisingchildren.net.au.

Medicare Benefits Schedule items - Chronic Disease Management

Chronic Disease Management (formerly Enhanced Primary Care or EPC) — GP services
GP services on the Medicare Benefits Schedule enable GPs to plan and coordinate the health care of patients with chronic or terminal medical conditions, including patients with those conditions who require multidisciplinary, team-based care from a GP and at least two other health or care providers.
For inquiries about eligibility, claiming, fees and rebates, call:
Patient inquiries 132 011
Provider inquiries 132 150

Medical Outreach - Indigenous Chronic Disease Programme (MOICDP)

Supports the delivery of a wide range of medical specialist, general practice and allied health outreach services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The programme supports costs associated with delivery of outreach health activities including Allied Health services.
The MOICDP funding is managed through jurisdictional fundholders:

NSW (NSW Rural Doctors Network)
Phone: 02 8337 8100

NT (Northern Territory Primary Health Network)
Phone: 08 8982 1000

Queensland (CheckUp Australia)
Phone: 07 3105 8300
Outreach Services: 1800 339 237 (Toll Free)

SA (Rural Doctors Workforce Agency-SA)
Phone: 08 8234 8277

Tasmania (Tasmanian Department of Health and Human Services)
Phone: 03 6777 2898

Victoria (Rural Workforce Agency Victoria)
Phone: 03 9349 7800

WA (Rural Health West)
Phone: 08 6389 4500

Healthy Ears – Better Hearing, Better Listening Programme
Aims to increase access to a range of services including expanded primary health care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and youth (0-21 years) for the diagnosis, treatment and management of ear and hearing health.
Phone: 08 6389 4500

Rural Health Outreach Fund
Supports outreach health activities to address health issues identified in regional, rural and remote locations. One of the objectives of the Rural Health Outreach Fund is to broaden the range of health services available including Allied Health services.
Phone: 1800 020 103

Rehabilitation Appliances Program
Provides equipment according to each person's assessed clinical need, as part of the overall management of their health care.
Phone: 1300 550 457

Financial Assistance for Carers
Carer Payment provides financial support to people who are unable to work in substantial paid employment because they provide full time daily care to someone with severe disability or medical condition, or to someone who is frail aged.
Phone: 132 717

Private Health Insurance

If you visit a doctor outside a hospital, Medicare will reimburse 100% of the MBS fee for a general practitioner and 85% of the MBS fee for a specialist - this applies whether or not you hold private health insurance. If your doctor bills Medicare directly (bulk billing), you will not have to pay anything. However, Medicare does not provide benefits for a range of services including most physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, eye therapy, chiropractic services, podiatry or psychology services.

Private Health Insurers offer general treatment cover (also called ancillary cover or extras cover), which provides insurance against some or all costs of treatment by ancillary health service providers. The extent of your cover depends on the type of policy you select and may include services such as those previously listed. Nearly all services covered under general treatment are only covered to a limited extent. There are various limits that may apply, for example a limit per service, per year, or lifetime limits. Some services may not be covered at all.