Fees and Rebates

Occupational Therapy Consultations

 

Provider Level	Hourly Rate	Initial Assessment	Services Offered
Principal Occupational Therapist	$258.70	$388.05	Functional Neurological Disorder Support, Connective Tissue Disorders Support, Professional Supervision, Recovery Program for Injured Workers, Pain Care Occupational Therapy, Mental Health Occupational Therapy
Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist	$237.30	$355.95	Connective Tissue Disorders Support, Professional Supervision, Recovery Program for Injured Workers, Pain Care Occupational Therapy, Mental Health Occupational Therapy
Level 2 Occupational Therapist	$219.25	$328.88	Recovery Program for Injured Workers, Pain Care Occupational Therapy, Scrambler Therapy, Mental Health Occupational Therapy
Level 1 Occupational Therapist	$193.99	$290.99	Scrambler Therapy, Psychosocial Functional Capacity Assessment (FCA), Mental Health Occupational Therapy
Therapy Assistant	$86.79		Assistance in various therapy sessions

• Consultations are generally 50 minutes long. The therapist’s time is billed for one hour, which includes documentation and follow-up.
• After hours consultations (from 5pm onwards weekdays and Saturday consultations) attract an additional $20 fee.

NDIS Access Application Process

	OT Assessment for NDIS Access Application	NDIS Functional Capacity Assessment(FCA)
What’s involved	OT Assessment OT Recommendations (brief)	Full FCA Assessment (as per NDIS guidelines) OT Recommendations (comprehensive)
What you’ll receive	Letter of support	Full FCA report
Cost	$1,357.93  (Medicare Chronic Disease Management rebates may apply)	$1,939.90 (Medicare Chronic Disease Management rebates may apply)
Payment	Pay in three instalments: 1st instalment = $452.65 **prepayment of 1st instalment due prior to initial appointment** 2nd instalment = $452.64 3rd instalment = $452.64	Pay in three instalments: 1st instalment = $646.64 **prepayment of 1st instalment due prior to initial appointment** 2nd instalment = $646.63 3rd instalment = $646.63

Disability Support Pension Application Process

	OT Assessment for DSP Application
What’s involved	Functional Capacity Assessment for DSP Application (based on Centrelink’s Impairment Table list)
What you’ll receive	Letter of support
Cost	$1,357.93 (no Medicare/insurance rebates, flat fee)

APA Pain Physiotherapy Consultations

Duration	Rate	Services Offered
1 hour	$224.00	APA Pain Physiotherapy
45 minutes	$168.00	APA Pain Physiotherapy
30 minutes	$112.00	APA Pain Physiotherapy

Psychology Consultations

Duration	Rate	Services Offered
50+ minutes	$234.83	Psychology

Counselling Consultations

Duration	Rate	Services Offered
50 minutes	$180	Counselling

Scrambler Therapy

Duration	Rate	Services Offered
60 minutes	$400 per session	Scrambler Therapy

Non Face to Face Services

Any travel costs incurred by the therapist to attend home and community appointments will be billed at the therapist’s hourly rate. Report writing, phone calls, emails or other work conducted outside of the appointment with your therapist will be billed at the hourly rate of the therapist you are engaged with. Costs associated with the completion of any necessary assessments will be the patient’s responsibility. This will be discussed with you prior to the assessment.

For home and community appointments, the therapist’s mileage will be charged at $0.97 per kilometre.

Cancellations

• 2 business days notice is required for cancellations. Otherwise, cancellation fees will apply.
• For cancellations or non-attendance on the day of the appointment, the full appointment fee will be applied.
• For NDIS participants, we require 7 business days notice to cancel or reschedule an appointment. A cancellation fee will be applied to any appointments cancelled or rescheduled within 7 business days of the scheduled appointment.

Private Health Rebates

• Many private health funds offer rebates for Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Psychology and Counselling, home visits, and group sessions under ancillary cover. Please check with your health fund to see if you are eligible.

Medicare Rebates

There are two Medicare programs that offer rebates that may apply to Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy and Psychology services (Counselling services excluded). Please note, for NDIS application appointments, Medicare’s Chronic Disease Management rebates may apply on appointment fees only.

1) The Chronic Disease Management program currently offers a rebate of $58.30 for home visits, clinic appointments and telehealth appointments. (Applicable to Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy & Psychology services). A referral and a Chronic Disease Management Plan from your GP are required to claim a Medicare rebate under Chronic Disease Management. You are entitled to 5 allied health sessions annually under this program if eligible.

2) The Better Access to Mental Health (for Occupational Therapy services) program currently offers a rebate of $105.55 for home visits or $81.90 for both clinic and telehealth appointments. A referral is required from your GP or Psychiatrist to claim a Medicare rebate under Better Access to Mental Health. You are entitled to claim a rebate for up to 10 focused psychological consultations if eligible.

The Better Access to Mental Health (for Psychology services) program currently offers a rebate of:

1. 1. $116.65 for home visits or $92.90 for both clinic and telehealth appointments. Applies to appointments of more than 50 mins in length. A referral and a Mental Health Care Plan from your GP are required to claim a Medicare rebate under Better Access to Mental Health. You are entitled to 10 allied health sessions annually under this program if eligible.

   2. $89.55 for home visits or $65.85 for both clinic and telehealth appointments. Applies to appointments between 20-50 mins in length. A referral and a Mental Health Care Plan is required from your GP to claim a Medicare rebate under Better Access to Mental Health. You are entitled to claim a rebate for up to 10 focused psychological consultations if eligible.

Accident & Workplace Injury Insurance

For referrals under Worker’s Compensation or Motor Vehicle Accident insurance, we will contact your insurer for funding approval before your first appointment. Once approved, we will bill directly to your insurer. Late cancellation or non-attendance fees are the responsibility of the individual.

NDIS Funding Options

Lifeworks Occupational Therapy is a registered NDIS provider, and we offer services to participants with NDIS funding. We work with clients who have NDIA-managed, Plan-managed, and Self-Managed plans. Here’s a breakdown of how our services are billed under each type of plan:

1. NDIA-Managed Plans: If your NDIS funding is managed by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), we will bill our services directly to the NDIS. There are no out-of-pocket or gap fees for services approved in your plan. These services are generally provided by Level 1 Occupational Therapists, Occupational Therapy Assistants, Physiotherapists, Psychologists and Counsellors.
2. Plan-Managed Plans: If your NDIS funding is managed by a Plan Manager, we will bill our services directly to the Plan Manager. There are no out-of-pocket or gap fees for services approved in your plan. These services are generally provided by Level 1 Occupational Therapists,  Occupational Therapy Assistants, Physiotherapists, Psychologists and Counsellors.
3. Self-Managed Plans: If you manage your own NDIS funding (Self-Managed), we will bill our services directly to you or your nominated representative. These services can be provided by any level of Occupational Therapist, Occupational Therapy Assistants, Physiotherapists, Psychologists and Counsellors, and the appropriate hourly rate will apply. You will be able to claim reimbursement for these services through the NDIS, as long as they are in line with your approved plan.