Funding and Program Terms
National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
A national scheme providing funding for individualised disability supports in Australia. Participants receive plans based on their goals and support needs. Providers deliver services under the NDIS pricing arrangements and are subject to oversight by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
Support at Home
The Australian Government program that replaced Home Care Packages (HCP) and Short-Term Restorative Care from 1 November 2025. It consolidates in-home Aged Care into a single program with new pricing, assessment and service delivery frameworks. Providers delivering Allied Health under Support at Home must meet the Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards. Watch the Support at Home webinar.
Home Care Packages (HCP)
A former Aged Care program providing coordinated packages of care to older Australians living at home. HCP operated across four levels based on care needs and was replaced by Support at Home on 1 November 2025.
Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP)
An entry-level Aged Care program providing basic support services such as Allied Health, meals, transport and social activities. CHSP continues to operate and will transition into Support at Home no earlier than 1 July 2027.
Thriving Kids
Supports for children aged 8 and under with developmental delay or autism with low to moderate support needs, and their families, delivered outside the NDIS as the early childhood part of foundational supports. Each state and territory that has signed delivers it under its own bilateral agreement with the Commonwealth, with supports phasing in from October 2026. The Thriving Kids Advisory Group Final Report set out the national model. See how each state is delivering it, or read the analysis of the advisory group report.
Aged Care Act 2024
The new legislative framework for Aged Care in Australia, replacing the Aged Care Act 1997. It introduces strengthened rights for older people, a new regulatory model, and updated quality and safety obligations for providers. It provides the legislative basis for Support at Home and the Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards. See the Aged Care sector page.
GP Chronic Condition Management Plan (GPCCMP)
The Medicare pathway through which a GP refers a patient with a chronic condition to Allied Health. It replaced GP Management Plans and Team Care Arrangements. The annual cap on subsidised Allied Health services under the plan is low relative to a typical course of treatment, so most practices set a gap fee on top of the rebate. See the Medicare sector page.
Better Access
The Medicare initiative providing subsidised mental health sessions on referral, principally to psychologists, social workers and occupational therapists. It is the largest Medicare pathway into Allied Health mental health services.
Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA)
The Commonwealth funder of health services for eligible veterans and their families. DVA pays Allied Health providers at set fees with no gap fee permitted, and access is arranged through a referral and treatment approval process rather than an individual budget.
Workers Compensation Schemes
The ten separate state, territory and Commonwealth schemes funding treatment and rehabilitation for work-related injury. Fees are prescribed by the scheme regulator or the insurer in most jurisdictions, and several set no rate at all. A provider operating across a border deals with two sets of fees, approvals and reporting. See the injury schemes page.
Compulsory Third Party (CTP)
The motor accident injury schemes, running separately in each state and territory. Unlike workers compensation, CTP schemes do not prescribe Allied Health fees, so a provider bills its own rate subject to insurer approval before treatment begins.
Block and Grant Funding
Funding paid as a fixed sum for a service or program rather than as a price per occasion of service. Common in community health, public hospital outreach and PHN commissioned programs. The commercial risk sits at re-tender rather than in price movement, and the price is negotiated once at contract and then fixed. See the community health page.
Foundational Supports
The tier of disability support being established to sit outside individual NDIS packages, delivered through mainstream and community services. Thriving Kids is the early childhood component. Delivery mechanisms and timing vary by state, so name the jurisdiction rather than describing a national rollout.
Registration and Compliance
NDIS Registration (Certification)
The full registration pathway for NDIS providers delivering higher-risk supports. Certification requires an independent audit against the NDIS Practice Standards, conducted by an approved quality auditor. Most Allied Health providers delivering therapeutic supports will require certification under the new NDIS regulatory model. See the NDIS sector page.
NDIS Verification
A lighter-touch registration pathway for lower-risk NDIS providers. Verification involves a self-assessment and desktop review rather than a full third-party audit. Some Allied Health service types may qualify for verification only, depending on the risk classification of the supports they deliver.
NDIS Practice Standards
The standards that registered NDIS providers must meet to deliver services to participants. They cover areas including governance and operational management, the provision of supports, the support environment and rights and responsibilities of participants. Providers are assessed against these standards through audit or verification.
NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
The independent body responsible for regulating NDIS providers and protecting the rights of NDIS participants. The Commission manages provider registration, handles complaints and reportable incidents, and enforces compliance with the NDIS Practice Standards and Code of Conduct.
Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards
The updated quality standards for Aged Care in Australia, replacing the previous Aged Care Quality Standards. They establish expectations across governance, care delivery, clinical safety, food and nutrition, the environment and feedback systems. Standard 5 (Clinical Care) is particularly relevant to Allied Health providers. Read what these standards mean under Support at Home.
Standard 5 (Clinical Care)
The standard within the Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards that covers clinical governance, safe clinical practices and health care delivery. It requires Aged Care providers to have systems for clinical oversight, risk identification, outcome measurement and workforce competency. Allied Health providers delivering into Aged Care, including subcontractors, are expected to meet these obligations. See the governance resource.
Associated Provider
Under the Aged Care Act 2024, an associated provider is an entity that delivers Aged Care services on behalf of a registered provider through a subcontracting or brokerage arrangement. Associated providers must meet certain obligations and the registered provider remains accountable for the quality and safety of services delivered by associated providers.
Supported Independent Living (SIL)
An NDIS support funding assistance with daily tasks for participants living in shared or individual arrangements requiring help at most times of the day. SIL is one of the provider groups captured by expanded mandatory registration. Allied Health and therapy providers are not in that group.
Clinical and Service Delivery
Allied Health
The health professions outside medicine, nursing and dentistry that assess, treat and support people to function, recover and stay independent. Examples include occupational therapy, speech pathology, physiotherapy, psychology, podiatry, dietetics, exercise physiology and social work. Some are registered with Ahpra, and others are self-regulated through their professional association. See the professional bodies Allied Health Professions Australia represents.
Clinical Governance
The systems and processes an organisation uses to ensure that clinical care is safe, effective, high quality and accountable. In Allied Health, this includes clinical supervision, incident management, outcome measurement, credentialing, scope of practice oversight and continuous improvement. Clinical governance obligations apply under both the NDIS Practice Standards and the Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards. See the governance resource.
Reablement
A time-limited, goal-oriented approach to care that focuses on building or restoring a person’s independence and functional capacity. Under Support at Home, reablement is a core service philosophy. Allied Health providers are expected to deliver interventions that support older Australians to do as much as they can for themselves, rather than creating dependency on ongoing services.
Allied Health Assistant (AHA)
A support worker who delivers Allied Health services under the delegation and supervision of a qualified Allied Health professional. AHAs can increase service capacity and reduce cost per contact, but require clear delegation frameworks, supervision plans and competency assessments. Their use is subject to regulatory and funder requirements.
Scope of Practice
The range of clinical activities a practitioner is competent and authorised to perform, based on their qualifications, training, experience and the regulatory context. In Allied Health, scope of practice is governed by professional registration bodies (e.g. AHPRA for Physiotherapy, occupational therapy, psychology) and by employer-level credentialing processes.
Multidisciplinary Team
A team of health professionals from different disciplines working together to deliver coordinated care. In Allied Health, this might include Physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, psychologists and exercise physiologists. Multidisciplinary approaches are increasingly expected in both NDIS and Aged Care service delivery.
Business and Operational Terms
Utilisation Rate
The percentage of a clinician’s available working hours that are spent on billable, client-facing activity. Utilisation rate is one of the most important operational metrics in Allied Health, because it directly affects revenue per clinician and overall margin. Benchmarks vary by setting, but 75-85% is a common target for community-based Allied Health. Model this in the margin calculator.
Revenue per Clinician FTE
Total revenue generated per full-time equivalent clinician over a given period. This metric provides a clearer picture of workforce productivity than total revenue alone and helps identify whether pricing, caseload or utilisation need adjustment. Model this in the margin calculator.
Labour Cost Ratio
Total labour costs (wages, superannuation, leave, workers compensation) expressed as a percentage of revenue. In Allied Health, labour is typically the largest cost category. Monitoring this ratio helps providers understand whether their pricing supports sustainable margins after covering workforce costs. Read how pay, profit and margin fit together.
Brokerage Model
A service delivery model where a registered provider engages external clinicians or organisations (subcontractors) to deliver services on their behalf. Common in Aged Care, where a registered Aged Care provider may broker Allied Health services from independent practitioners. The registered provider retains accountability for quality and compliance.
Fractional Consulting
An engagement model where a consultant provides ongoing strategic input on a part-time or periodic basis, integrated into the client’s leadership rhythm. At Conway Consulting Group, fractional consulting is delivered through retainer arrangements ranging from monthly to weekly engagement, providing consistent strategic support without the cost of a full-time hire.
NDIS Pricing Schedule
The document setting the maximum prices a provider can charge for NDIS supports. It replaced the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits (PAPL), and the claiming, travel, cancellation and non-face-to-face rules that previously sat inside the same document were separated out. Only the current financial year’s instrument is operative. Confirm the current title and year before relying on it.
Plan Management
A funding management option under the NDIS where a registered plan manager handles the financial administration of a participant’s plan, including processing invoices and managing budgets. Plan-managed participants can use both registered and unregistered providers, which broadens provider choice.
Self-Management (NDIS)
A funding management option where the NDIS participant (or their nominee) manages their own plan funds directly. Self-managed participants can choose any provider, set their own service agreements and are responsible for record-keeping and claiming. Providers do not need to be registered to deliver services to self-managed participants.
Payer Mix
The split of a provider’s revenue across its funding sources, expressed as a share of the total. It is the first diagnostic worth running on any Allied Health business, because concentration in a single stream determines how exposed the provider is to one pricing decision it does not control. See the funding environments.
Cost to Serve
The full cost of delivering a service, including the clinician’s time, the non-billable time around it, supervision, travel, administration and the share of overhead the service carries. It is the number that decides whether a given rate is worth accepting, and it is routinely lower than the true figure because indirect time is left out.
Fully Loaded Cost
A clinician’s total cost to the business, being salary plus superannuation, leave, workers compensation, payroll tax where it applies, supervision, equipment, software and the non-billable time built into the role. It is materially higher than salary, and the gap is where most margin surprises originate. Model it with the margin calculator.
Non-Face-to-Face (NF2F)
Time spent on a participant’s supports without the participant present, such as report writing, resource development and case conferencing. It is claimable under the NDIS in defined circumstances, and the rules around what qualifies and how it is charged are among the most contested areas of NDIS billing.
Workforce Terms
Employee vs Contractor
The classification of a worker as either an employee or an independent contractor, which determines obligations around tax, superannuation, leave, insurance and workplace rights. In Allied Health, misclassification is a common compliance risk. The distinction is determined by the nature of the working relationship, not by the label used in a contract. Read the full breakdown of the decision.
Employee Value Proposition (EVP)
The combination of pay, benefits, career development, culture and working conditions that an employer offers to attract and retain staff. A strong EVP is increasingly important in Allied Health, where workforce shortages and clinician burnout make recruitment and retention a strategic priority.
Clinician-to-Leader Transition
The process of a clinician moving from a primarily clinical role into a management, leadership or business ownership role. This transition requires new skills in areas like financial management, team leadership, strategic planning and systems thinking. It is one of the most common development needs in Allied Health businesses. Read about the shift from clinician to business owner.
Health Professionals and Support Services (HPSS) Award
The modern award covering most employed Allied Health professionals in the private and non-government sectors. It sets minimum pay, classification structures and conditions. Award increases arrive independently of what any funder does to prices, so a provider can face rising labour costs and flat or falling revenue in the same year.
Payroll Tax and Relevant Contracts
State payroll tax can apply to payments made to contractors where the arrangement falls within the relevant contract provisions. Revenue offices have applied this to healthcare practices, and relief extended to general practice does not extend to Allied Health. Exposure is state specific and can be assessed retrospectively.
Sham Contracting
Engaging a worker as an independent contractor when the working relationship is in substance employment. The test turns on the nature of the relationship rather than the label in the agreement, and the ATO has warned specifically against treating the employment indicators as a checklist. It is a common and material exposure in Allied Health.