What changed on 1 July 2026?
For years, NDIS prices and claiming rules sat together in one document called the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits (often just called the price guide). For 2026–27, the NDIA replaced it with the NDIS Pricing Schedule, a prices-only document that sets the maximum amounts providers can charge. The three biggest changes for therapy supports are:
- New suffix item codes: cancellations, travel, reports, non-face-to-face work and telehealth are now claimed under their own codes instead of being bundled into one therapy item.
- Price limit changes: some therapy prices went up, some went down and some stayed the same.
- Clearer invoices: you can now see exactly how your therapy funding was used.
The new therapy suffixes
Each therapy discipline has one base item number. Face-to-face sessions are claimed on the base item. Everything else adds a short suffix to the end of the code.
| Suffix | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| No suffix | Face-to-face therapy session | Your weekly home session with your OT or EP |
_CA | Short-notice cancellation or no-show | A session cancelled at short notice, where your service agreement allows a cancellation fee |
_NF | Non-face-to-face work for you | Writing your home exercise program or reviewing assessment results |
_PT | Provider travel time | Your therapist's travel time to see you at home |
_RR | Reports the NDIA asks for | A progress report the NDIA requests for your plan reassessment |
_TH | Telehealth | A live video session with your therapist |
Not every report is an _RR: the _RR code is only for reports the NDIA itself requests. A report asked for by a support coordinator, family member or another provider may be claimed as non-face-to-face work (_NF) instead, if it is specific to you and was agreed in advance.
2026–27 therapy price limits
These are the maximum hourly prices for standard (non-remote) areas from 1 July 2026. Remote and very remote areas have higher limits.
| Therapy | 2025–26 | 2026–27 |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology | $232.99 | $252.99 |
| Occupational therapy | $193.99 | $193.99 (no change) |
| Speech pathology | $193.99 | $193.99 (no change) |
| Podiatry | $188.99 | $188.99 (no change) |
| Physiotherapy | $183.99 | $183.99 (no change) |
| Dietetics | $188.99 | $178.99 |
| Exercise physiology | $166.99 | $161.99 |
Cancellations, telehealth and NDIA-requested reports are claimed at the same hourly price limit as a face-to-face session. Provider travel time is capped at 50 per cent of the hourly rate, so an OT's travel is claimed at up to about $97 an hour and an EP's at up to about $81 an hour. Vehicle running costs, where they apply, are claimed under separate non-labour travel items.
Exercise physiology and OT item codes
Here are the main base items for the two services Exercare provides. Add the suffix for the type of support, for example 15_617_0128_1_3_PT for OT travel.
| Service | Base item | Support category |
|---|---|---|
| Occupational therapy | 15_617_0128_1_3 | 15 – Improved Daily Living Skills |
| Exercise physiology | 15_200_0126_1_3 | 15 – Improved Daily Living Skills |
| Exercise physiology | 12_027_0126_3_3 | 12 – Improved Health and Wellbeing |
Which exercise physiology item is used depends on where the funding sits in your plan. Your plan manager or support coordinator can confirm this. OT recommendations for equipment and home changes are funded separately from your Capital budget, under Assistive Technology (Category 05) and Home Modifications (Category 06).
A quick guide to NDIS support categories
The first two digits of every item number show its support category. The ones most relevant to therapy are:
- 05 – Assistive Technology (Capital): equipment such as wheelchairs, shower chairs and hoists
- 06 – Home Modifications (Capital): rails, ramps and bathroom changes
- 07 – Support Coordination (Capacity Building): help to find and coordinate supports
- 12 – Improved Health and Wellbeing (Capacity Building): exercise physiology and personal training
- 15 – Improved Daily Living Skills (Capacity Building): therapy such as OT, EP, physiotherapy and speech pathology. You may see this called "CB Daily Activity" in the NDIS portal.
Questions about your therapy funding?
Exercare's billing system is fully updated for the 2026–27 item codes. We are happy to walk you or your plan manager through any invoice. One NDIS intake form covers exercise physiology, occupational therapy or both.
What this means for you
Participants and families
- Your invoices and plan manager statements will show more line items, but you are not being charged for anything new
- It is now easier to see how much of your budget goes to sessions versus travel, reports and cancellations
- If a price in your service agreement changes, your provider must discuss it with you and get your agreement first
Support coordinators and plan managers
- Expect invoices to use suffix codes instead of a single therapy item
- Check travel is claimed on the _PT item at no more than half the hourly rate
- Remember _RR is only for NDIA-requested reports
- Budget forecasts for exercise physiology should use the lower $161.99 price limit
How Exercare bills under the new codes
Exercare has updated its practice management and invoicing system for the 2026–27 Pricing Schedule. Our invoices show the correct suffix for every line and we explain travel, report and cancellation policies clearly in our service agreements before you start. If you are not sure why a line appears on an invoice, call us on 0413 827 232 and we will go through it with you.
Evidence referenced in this article
- Pricing arrangements. NDIS.
- NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 2025–26 (support category structure). NDIS.
- NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026–27: key changes explained. NDSP Plan Managers.
- The NDIS Pricing Schedule: allied health support item numbers and new suffixes. Quickclaim.
Written by the Exercare allied health team. This article is general information only and is not a substitute for individual medical advice. Exercare provides mobile exercise physiology and NDIS occupational therapy across south-east and eastern Melbourne.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my therapy invoice have more lines than before?
From 1 July 2026, travel, cancellations, reports, non-face-to-face work and telehealth are claimed under their own item codes with a suffix. The work was often billed before, but it is now shown separately.
What does _PT mean on my invoice?
_PT is provider travel: the time your therapist spent travelling to see you. It is capped at 50 per cent of the therapy's hourly price limit.
Did exercise physiology prices go up or down?
The NDIS price limit for exercise physiology dropped from $166.99 to $161.99 an hour from 1 July 2026. Occupational therapy stayed at $193.99 an hour.
Is telehealth charged at a lower rate?
No. Telehealth has its own _TH code, but it is claimed at the same price limit as a face-to-face session.
Which support category is therapy funded from?
Most therapy, including OT and exercise physiology, is funded from Capacity Building – Improved Daily Living Skills (Category 15). Exercise physiology can also be funded from Improved Health and Wellbeing (Category 12).