Mobile Healthcare & Your NDIS Plan: What’s Covered

If you’re an NDIS participant, or you’re supporting someone who is, you’ve probably spent time trying to figure out what your funding actually covers and how to use it well. The plan documents can feel dense, the categories aren’t always intuitive, and finding practitioners who genuinely understand how to work within the NDIS adds another layer of complexity.

Mobile healthcare—qualified allied health professionals who come to you rather than you going to them—fits neatly into the NDIS framework in ways that many participants and families don’t realise. In our experience working with mobile practitioners across Australia, the most common thing we hear from families is not that the funding wasn’t there, but that nobody told them they could use it this way.

This guide is written for NDIS participants, their families and carers, and support coordinators who want a clearer picture of how in-home allied health services connect to NDIS funding, which services are typically covered, and how to advocate for in-home support at plan reviews. It reflects the significant policy changes that took effect across 2024 and 2025, including the introduction of formal NDIS supports lists, the shift to quarterly funding periods, and the updated pricing arrangements for allied health that apply from 1 July 2025.

The NDIS in 2025–26: What the Numbers Tell Us

As at early 2026, the NDIS supports approximately 751,000 Australians living with significant disability—up from 739,000 as at June 2025 and continuing a trend of steady growth ^[1]. Total scheme expenditure is forecast at $44.6 billion in 2025–26, making it one of the largest social programs in Australia’s history ^[1]. Annual cost growth has slowed to around 10%, down from a 23% peak, though the Grattan Institute has noted it remains above the National Cabinet target of 8% by 2026 and that growth moderation achieved through pricing cuts risks reducing access for in-home and regional participants without addressing structural reform.

The participant base is diverse. Autism is the most common primary disability (around 35% of participants), followed by intellectual disability and developmental delay. Just under half of all participants are children under 15. Allied health—including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology, and psychology—accounts for a significant share of Capacity Building expenditure across the scheme, and remains one of the areas where access gaps are most acutely felt, particularly in regional and remote Australia ^[2].

Why In-Home Allied Health Makes Clinical Sense for NDIS Participants

Before getting into the funding mechanics, it’s worth talking about the clinical case for mobile healthcare, because it’s a strong one.

Many NDIS participants face genuine transport barriers. Whether that’s because of mobility limitations, the complexity of organising accessible transport, sensory sensitivities that make travel exhausting, or the simple logistics of getting someone with significant support needs to a clinic, the journey itself can consume energy that should be going into the therapy session.

But there’s more to it than convenience. Therapists on our network consistently report that assessing a participant in their own environment gives them information that a clinic setting simply cannot provide. An occupational therapist visiting someone’s home can see how the bathroom is actually laid out, where the trip hazards are, how the person moves through their kitchen, and what modifications would genuinely help. A speech pathologist can observe real mealtime dynamics. A physiotherapist can understand what movements the person actually needs to perform in their daily life.

This is what the NDIS calls “reasonable and necessary” support, and in-home allied health often satisfies that test more directly than clinic-based care, because it’s targeted at the participant’s actual life and environment.

Families who use our platform tell us that once their allied health team started visiting at home, therapy became more consistent, less stressful for the participant, and more practical in its outcomes. For many participants—particularly those with autism, acquired brain injury, or complex physical support needs—the home environment isn’t just more comfortable, it’s clinically superior.

What Changed in 2024–25: Key Policy Updates You Need to Know

The NDIS has undergone significant structural reform over the past two years. If your understanding of how NDIS funding works was formed before mid-2024, it’s worth updating a few things before acting on it.

The NDIS supports list (from October 2024)

From 3 October 2024, the NDIS introduced formal lists defining what funding can and cannot be spent on. For allied health, the news is reassuring: therapeutic and allied health supports are explicitly confirmed as NDIS supports, covering services that help participants improve or maintain functional capacity in areas such as communication, personal care, mobility, and independence ^[3]. This includes OT, physiotherapy, speech pathology, psychology, exercise physiology, and related services—delivered in clinic or in the home.

The lists also clarified exclusions: non-evidence-based alternative therapies, general wellness coaching, and clinical mental health treatment are not NDIS supports (clinical mental health remains the responsibility of the health system). A 12-month transition period applied through October 2025, with an educational rather than punitive approach to honest mistakes.

Allied health now sits exclusively in Capacity Building (from July 2025)

Before July 2025, there was a flexibility arrangement that allowed some therapy supports to be funded from Core budgets in certain circumstances. From 1 July 2025, this flexibility ended. All allied health therapeutic supports—including OT, physiotherapy, speech pathology, psychology, and exercise physiology—must be funded exclusively from the Capacity Building budget ^[4]. If your plan was approved before this change, it’s worth confirming with your plan manager or support coordinator that your Capacity Building allocation is sufficient for the services you use.

Quarterly funding periods (from May 2025)

From 19 May 2025, all new and reassessed NDIS plans have their Core and Capacity Building budgets released in quarterly funding periods rather than as a single annual sum ^[4]. This affects how you and your providers manage invoicing and service delivery. Assistive Technology and Home Modifications budgets are still released in full at plan start. Unspent funds from one quarter roll into the next, but do not carry over into a new plan at the end of the plan period.

Travel pricing for mobile practitioners (from July 2025)

From 1 July 2025, the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits (PAPL 2025-26) capped travel time claims for allied health providers at 50% of their hourly therapy rate—down from 100% ^[5]. For a physiotherapist billing at the national cap of $183.99/hr, the maximum claimable travel rate is now $91.99/hr. Metro providers can claim a maximum of 30 minutes travel per trip; regional up to 60 minutes. The change drew a coordinated response from the sector: a joint statement signed by Occupational Therapy Australia, the Australian Physiotherapy Association, Dietitians Australia, the Australian Podiatry Association, and the Australian Psychological Society called on the government to halt the changes, with over 50,000 Australians signing related petitions ^[6]. The NDIA has maintained the pricing stands. For participants, the practical effect is that some mobile providers—particularly in rural and remote areas—have had to review their service radius. When engaging a mobile practitioner, ask upfront how they handle travel costs within your plan budget.

Support Coordinator registration (from July 2025)

From 1 July 2025, all Support Coordinators must be registered with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission ^[4]. If you use a support coordinator who was previously unregistered, confirm their registration status has been updated.

NDIS Integrity and Safeguarding Bill 2025 (November 2025)

Introduced to Parliament on 26 November 2025, this Bill proposes significant changes to provider accountability ^[7]. For participants, two changes are directly relevant when choosing allied health providers. First, the Bill introduces civil penalties of up to $15 million for serious misconduct by corporations providing NDIS services. Second, it creates new criminal offences for unregistered providers operating in regulated support areas. These changes sharpen the distinction between registered and unregistered providers and are intended to protect participants from misconduct. The Bill also proposes restrictions on misleading marketing of NDIS-funded services and expanded banning powers. It was scheduled for further parliamentary consideration in 2026.

What’s coming: I-CAN planning framework (mid-2026) and Thriving Kids (October 2026)

Two forward-looking changes are worth understanding if you’re an NDIS participant or a family accessing paediatric allied health services.

From mid-2026, the NDIA will introduce a new planning framework using the I-CAN v6 assessment tool (Instrument for Classification and Assessment of Support Needs). The most consequential change for allied health is that allied health reports will no longer be mandatory inputs to planning decisions—NDIA delegates will not be required to consider independent clinical evidence when developing plans ^[8]. For participants, this makes it more important than ever to prepare concise, goal-focused supporting documentation at plan reviews, and to understand that plan outcomes may increasingly reflect the assessor’s judgement rather than clinical recommendations. All participants must transition to the new framework within five years of the mid-2026 launch.

From 1 October 2026, the government’s Thriving Kids program—the first phase of the broader Foundational Supports initiative, backed by $4 billion over five years—will begin rolling out, targeting children aged 8 and under with developmental delay and autism with low to moderate support needs ^[8]. NDIS access arrangement changes for this cohort commence 1 January 2028. If you are a family currently using NDIS-funded allied health for a young child, it is worth staying across these changes, as demand in this cohort is expected to shift toward the Foundational Supports system over the coming years.

Which Mobile Allied Health Services Can Be Funded Through the NDIS

The NDIS funds a broad range of allied health services, and all of these can be delivered in the home by mobile practitioners. Here’s a practical overview of what’s commonly funded and how it sits within your plan.

Occupational Therapy

OT is one of the most commonly funded allied health services under the NDIS, and maps closely to in-home delivery. OTs assess how disability affects a person’s ability to carry out daily activities and recommend supports, equipment, or modifications. In-home OT services include home safety assessments, bathroom and kitchen modification recommendations, assistive technology prescription, fatigue management strategies, and support with activities of daily living—all best done in the home, and all funded through the Capacity Building budget.

Physiotherapy

Mobile physiotherapy is funded for many NDIS participants, particularly those with neurological conditions, musculoskeletal issues, or physical disabilities. In-home physio allows the practitioner to design exercise programs around the participant’s actual space and equipment, and to observe functional movements in context. For participants who are largely housebound, mobile physiotherapy may be the only realistic way to access this support consistently. The current national NDIS price cap for physiotherapy is $183.99/hr ^[5].

Speech Pathology

Speech pathologists work across communication, language, literacy, and mealtime management. Mealtime management in particular is an area where in-home delivery is strongly indicated—the therapist can observe the participant eating and drinking in their real environment, with their usual foods, utensils, and support people present. Many families don’t realise that speech pathology, including mealtime management plans and communication supports, can be funded through their NDIS Capacity Building budget.

Psychology and Behaviour Support

Psychological services and behaviour support can be funded under the NDIS for eligible participants. In-home delivery allows practitioners to observe the participant’s environment, identify triggers and patterns that wouldn’t emerge in a clinic, and work with the whole household rather than just the individual. The current NDIS cap for psychology is $232.99/hr nationally ^[5]. Specialist behaviour support practitioners must be registered with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, and behaviour support plans must comply with the Commission’s requirements around restrictive practices.

Exercise Physiology

Accredited exercise physiologists can deliver prescribed exercise programs that address a participant’s functional goals. For participants managing chronic conditions, neurological disability, or deconditioning, in-home exercise physiology removes the barrier of gym access and allows the program to be built around what’s actually achievable in the person’s home.

Continence Support

This is one of the service gaps people most often don’t know they can access. Continence assessment and management planning can be funded through the NDIS, and having a continence nurse or therapist assess the participant at home is far more practical and dignified than managing this in a clinical setting. Home Visit Network includes continence practitioners among its mobile allied health professionals.

Understanding the Funding Categories

Most mobile allied health services for NDIS participants sit within the Capacity Building budget. From July 2025, this is the only budget from which allied health therapy can be funded—the previous flexibility to draw on Core supports for therapy has ended.

Capacity Building – Improved Daily Living is the most relevant funding line for allied health. It covers assessment, therapy, and training from allied health practitioners, including OT, physiotherapy, speech pathology, psychology, and exercise physiology. This is where the bulk of your therapy budget will sit. Note that from 19 May 2025, these funds are released quarterly for new and reassessed plans.

Capacity Building – Improved Health and Wellbeing can fund exercise physiology and dietary advice in some circumstances, though this varies by plan and participant goals.

Capital – Assistive Technology funds equipment that supports the participant’s independence. An OT assessment is usually required before assistive technology can be approved, and that assessment can be conducted in the home. AT budgets are released in full at plan start, not in quarterly instalments.

Capital – Home Modifications covers structural modifications to the home—grab rails, ramp installations, bathroom modifications. An OT home assessment is typically the starting point and is fundable through Capacity Building.

If you’re unsure which budget line applies to the service you’re looking for, your support coordinator—who from July 2025 must be NDIS-registered—should be able to help you map it. If you don’t have a support coordinator, the NDIS website has planning resources, or you can contact the NDIA directly on 1800 800 110.

Advocating for In-Home Services at Your Plan Review

Plan reviews are the time to make the case for the supports you actually need. If you want in-home allied health services included in your plan, it helps to come prepared.

Gather evidence from your treating team. If your GP, specialist, or current therapist can provide a letter explaining why in-home delivery is clinically appropriate for you, that carries weight with planners. The language to use is “reasonable and necessary” and “related to the participant’s disability.” If transport is a barrier, document it. If the home environment is the relevant clinical context, say so explicitly.

Request specific line items. Vague requests for “therapy” are harder to fund than specific requests for, say, “eight OT home visits to complete a home safety assessment and assistive technology prescription.” The more specific you can be about what the service involves and what outcomes it’s working toward, the better.

Reference your goals. NDIS plans are built around goals. If your goals include living independently at home, managing your health, or participating in daily activities, in-home allied health services connect directly to those goals. Make that connection explicit.

Make sure your Capacity Building budget is sufficient. Given that allied health can no longer be drawn from Core budgets, it’s important to check that your Capacity Building allocation is realistic for the therapy hours you actually need. If your previous plan had Core-funding flexibility, your new plan may require a higher Capacity Building allocation to achieve the same access.

Don’t accept “that’s not funded” without checking. Families sometimes report being told that certain services aren’t available under the NDIS, only to discover later that they were. If you’re not sure, ask for the reason in writing, contact the NDIS directly, or seek support from a disability advocate. The formal supports list introduced in October 2024 is publicly available and is the definitive guide to what is and isn’t an NDIS support. It’s also worth knowing that in the 12 months to June 2025, there were 7,132 new NDIS appeals to the Administrative Review Tribunal—a 76% increase on the previous year—and 73% of those appeals resulted in a change to the original NDIS decision ^[9]. The system does make mistakes, and decisions can be challenged.

Service Gaps You Might Not Know You Can Fill

Based on what the therapists on our network encounter in the field, here are some commonly overlooked services that NDIS participants may be able to access through their plan.

• Home safety assessments. A formal OT assessment of your home environment—identifying fall risks, accessibility barriers, and modification opportunities—is often fundable and can have a significant impact on safety and independence.
• Assistive technology assessments and prescription. From wheelchairs to communication devices to specialised kitchen equipment, AT prescription often starts with an OT assessment. Many participants don’t realise how wide the AT category is.
• Mealtime management plans. For participants with swallowing difficulties or complex mealtime support needs, a formal mealtime management plan developed by a speech pathologist can be funded and is often clinically essential.
• Continence assessment and support. Continence issues significantly affect quality of life and independence, and there are mobile practitioners who specialise in this area.
• Fatigue management and pacing programs. For participants with fatigue-related disabilities, occupational therapists and exercise physiologists can develop structured programs delivered at home.
• Carer coaching and training. Some NDIS funding can support training for family members and carers in how to assist the participant safely and effectively. This is often built into allied health home visits and can reduce the physical and emotional burden on families.

Finding Mobile Allied Health Practitioners Through Home Visit Network

Home Visit Network was built by a mobile therapist who understood from firsthand experience that accessing quality healthcare shouldn’t depend on your ability to travel. The platform was designed equally for practitioners and for the people who need them.

You can search by postcode to find qualified practitioners who visit your area and connect with someone who understands the NDIS context. The therapists on our platform include occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech pathologists, exercise physiologists, psychologists, and continence practitioners, among others. Many have specific experience working with NDIS participants and understand how to structure their services within plan funding and the 2025-26 PAPL pricing arrangements.

If you’re a support coordinator, you can use Home Visit Network to find mobile practitioners for multiple clients in a given region, which can significantly simplify the referral process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can NDIS funding be used for allied health practitioners who visit my home?

Yes. Allied health services funded under the NDIS can be delivered in the home by mobile practitioners. From July 2025, these services must be funded through the Capacity Building budget. In many cases, in-home delivery is clinically preferable and can be supported at plan review.

How do I find a mobile allied health practitioner who accepts NDIS funding?

You can search by postcode on Home Visit Network to find qualified mobile practitioners in your area who work with NDIS participants. Many practitioners on the platform are registered NDIS providers or can work with plan-managed and self-managed participants.

What if my NDIS plan doesn’t currently include the allied health service I need?

You can request a plan review or raise the issue at your next scheduled review. Coming with supporting documentation from your treating team and connecting the service to your plan goals will strengthen your case.

Do the July 2025 travel pricing changes affect what I pay for in-home visits?

Potentially. From 1 July 2025, mobile allied health providers can only claim 50% of their hourly rate for travel time under the NDIS, which may affect how providers price or structure their home visit services. Ask your practitioner upfront how travel is handled within your plan budget.

Can my carer or family member be present during in-home allied health sessions?

Yes, and in many cases this is encouraged. Allied health practitioners working in the home often include carer coaching and training as part of the session, which can be both clinically beneficial and fundable under Capacity Building.

What is the difference between plan-managed and self-managed NDIS funding when it comes to mobile healthcare?

If your plan is agency-managed, you’ll need to use NDIS-registered providers. Plan-managed and self-managed participants have more flexibility and can access non-registered providers in some circumstances. Self-managed participants are also not bound by the NDIS price caps, though many use them as a guide. If you’re unsure, your plan manager or support coordinator can advise.

Are home safety assessments covered by the NDIS?

Home safety assessments conducted by an occupational therapist are funded through Capacity Building. These assessments can identify risks, recommend modifications, and support applications for Capital – Home Modifications funding.

The NDIS is a significant resource for Australians living with disability, and mobile healthcare is one of the most practical ways to make that funding work in your everyday life. The key is knowing what’s available, staying across the rule changes that affect how budgets work, asking the right questions at plan reviews, and finding practitioners who understand how to work within your plan effectively.

Home Visit Network exists to make that connection easier. Conduct a postcode search to find qualified mobile practitioners in your area.

References

1. National Disability Insurance Agency. NDIS Quarterly Report Q4 2024-25; NDIS Stronger NDIS statement, August 2025; Roaming Therapy NDIS Price Guide 2025-26 analysis, March 2026. ndis.gov.au
2. National Disability Services / Allied Health Professionals Australia. #4aBetterNDIS Fact Sheet: NDIS allied health services. 2025. nds.org.au
3. National Disability Insurance Agency. NDIS Supports Lists (effective 3 October 2024). ndis.gov.au
4. National Disability Insurance Agency. NDIS changes July 2025: quarterly funding, Capacity Building rules, Support Coordinator registration. ndis.gov.au
5. National Disability Insurance Agency. NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 2025–26 (PAPL v1.0, effective 1 July 2025; v1.1 effective 24 November 2025). ndis.gov.au/providers/pricing-arrangements
6. Occupational Therapy Australia; Australian Physiotherapy Association; Dietitians Australia; Australian Podiatry Association; Australian Psychological Society. Joint public statement on NDIS price cuts. June–July 2025. otaus.com.au
7. Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. NDIS Amendment (Integrity and Safeguarding) Bill 2025. Introduced 26 November 2025. ndis.gov.au
8. National Disability Insurance Agency. I-CAN v6 planning framework (mid-2026 rollout). September 2025; Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. Thriving Kids / Foundational Supports announcement, April 2026. health.gov.au
9. MD Homecare. NDIS appeals surge: 76% increase to Administrative Review Tribunal. March 2026.