Plain English answers, with the section cited.
Straight answers to the questions Australia's care sector actually googles, across the NDIS, aged care, allied health, childcare, mental health and Centrelink. Every guide names the Act or rule it rests on.
Aged care
The Aged Care Act 2024, explained
A plain English guide to Australia's Aged Care Act 2024: when it started, what it covers and why it replaced the Aged Care Act 1997.
What changes under the new Aged Care Act for providers
What the Aged Care Act 2024 means for providers: registration, the strengthened standards, provider duties and stronger regulation.
The Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards, in plain English
A plain English summary of the seven strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards that apply from 1 November 2025.
Is a fall a reportable incident under SIRS?
A fall is not automatically reportable under SIRS, but it can be. Learn when a fall must be reported under the Serious Incident Response Scheme.
SIRS reporting timeframes: how fast must you report?
How fast must you report under SIRS? Priority 1 incidents within 24 hours and Priority 2 within 30 days. Here is what the timeframes mean.
Aged care 24/7 registered nurse requirement
What the 24/7 registered nurse requirement means for residential aged care homes in Australia, who can get an exemption, and how it is reported.
Care minutes requirements 2026
The residential aged care care minutes targets that apply in 2026, how registered nurse minutes work, and how funding links to delivery from April 2026.
Aged care code of conduct explained
The Aged Care Code of Conduct sets eight standards of behaviour for providers, responsible persons and workers. What it covers and how it is enforced.
NDIS providers
Is this a valid NDIS support?
A plain English guide to the reasonable and necessary test, NDIS exclusions and how to check a support is valid before you deliver or claim.
What changed in the 2026-27 NDIS Pricing Schedule
The Pricing Arrangements became the NDIS Pricing Schedule from 1 July 2026. Here is what changed for providers, in plain English.
NDIS mandatory registration: who needs it and when
From 1 July 2026 SIL and platform providers must register with the NDIS Commission. Here is who is affected and what registration involves.
Can I charge a gap fee under the NDIS?
Registered providers cannot add gap fees or surcharges on top of NDIS price limits. Here is what the rules allow and what they prohibit.
NDIS Practice Standards audit checklist
A practical checklist for an NDIS Practice Standards audit: which modules apply, verification versus certification, and the evidence auditors expect.
What are the NDIS provider travel claiming rules?
When NDIS providers can claim travel time and vehicle costs, the time caps by location, the 50 per cent rule for therapy, and what must be agreed first.
NDIS Code of Conduct explained
The NDIS Code of Conduct sets seven obligations for every NDIS provider and worker, registered or not. Here is what each one means and how it is enforced.
How to keep NDIS records for an audit
What NDIS records to keep, how long to keep them, and how to organise them so a quality audit or NDIA payment check goes smoothly for your organisation.
Support coordinators
What can support coordination be used for?
Support coordination helps participants understand their plan, connect with supports and build capacity. Here is what it covers and what it does not.
Can support coordinators claim non face-to-face time?
Support coordinators can generally claim time delivering the support that is not face to face, such as calls and emails, when it is agreed and recorded.
How to write a support coordination report
A practical structure for support coordination reports: goals, progress, evidence and next steps, written in plain language for the NDIA.
How to build a schedule of supports
A schedule of supports maps each funded support to a line item, rate and total within the plan budget. Here is how to build one that adds up.
What is the support coordination price limit in 2026?
The NDIS support coordination price limits that apply from 1 July 2026 for Levels 1, 2 and 3, remote loadings, and what support coordinators can claim.
Reasonable and necessary explained for the NDIS
What reasonable and necessary means under section 34 of the NDIS Act 2013, the criteria the NDIA applies, and how the 2024 NDIS supports lists changed it.
Can support coordinators claim travel?
Yes, support coordinators can claim travel when they meet a participant face to face and it is agreed in advance. Here are the time caps, rates and rules.
Support workers
Is medication management in a support worker's role?
Whether medication management sits in a support worker's role depends on training, provider policy and the participant's plan. Here is how to tell.
How to write an NDIS progress note
A simple guide to writing clear, factual NDIS progress notes linked to participant goals, with what to include and mistakes to avoid.
NDIS progress note examples and what to include
See NDIS progress note examples and a checklist of what to include, so your notes are clear, objective and linked to the participant's goals.
What to include in a support worker incident report
What a support worker incident report should include: the facts, who was involved, your response and reportable incident duties under the NDIS.
High intensity supports under the NDIS, explained
What counts as a high intensity support under the NDIS, which workers can deliver them, the skills descriptors that apply and how they are priced.
What to do if a participant refuses support?
An NDIS participant can refuse support. Learn how to respect their choice, manage duty of care and dignity of risk, and what to record and report.
NDIS Code of Conduct for support workers
A plain English guide to the NDIS Code of Conduct for support workers: the elements, who it covers, what it looks like on shift and what happens on breach.
Occupational therapists
Is an OT report GST-free?
An OT report can be GST-free when the four conditions in GST Act s 38-38 are met. Here is what each condition means for NDIS work.
What is the NDIS OT price limit per hour?
The NDIS occupational therapy price limit is 193.99 dollars per hour for 2026-27, set in the NDIS Pricing Schedule and updated each year.
Can an OT bill travel time to the NDIS?
Yes, within limits. How occupational therapists claim provider travel under NDIS pricing rules: time caps by area, the 50 per cent rate and km costs.
NDIS functional capacity assessment cost
What an NDIS functional capacity assessment costs, how OTs bill it by the hour, which budget pays, and what should be in the quote before you agree.
OT home modification report, who pays?
Who pays for an occupational therapist's NDIS home modification report, which budget it comes from, and how minor and complex modifications differ.
NDIS non face to face OT claiming rules?
When an occupational therapist can claim non face to face time under the NDIS, what counts, what does not, and how to invoice it correctly.
OT NDIS service agreement GST requirements
What an occupational therapist's NDIS service agreement must contain for supports to be GST-free under section 38-38 of the GST Act, and common traps.
Psychologists
Clinical vs registered psychologist: the Medicare rebate difference
Clinical psychologists bill MBS item 80010 and registered psychologists bill item 80110. Here is how the Medicare rebate differs, in plain English.
How many Medicare psychology sessions can a client get per year?
Under Better Access a client can get up to 10 individual Medicare psychology sessions per calendar year, released after a GP review. Here is how it works.
Can a psychologist bill NDIS and Medicare on the same day?
A psychologist cannot claim NDIS and Medicare for the same service. Two genuinely separate services on one day is possible with care and documentation.
Is a psychology medico-legal report GST free?
Psychology medico-legal reports for lawyers, courts or employers are usually taxable, not GST-free. Learn the recipient test and the insurer exceptions.
NDIS psychology price limit per hour
The NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27 sets the national psychology price limit at $252.99 per hour from 1 July 2026. See remote rates and how the cap works.
Better Access item numbers, explained
A plain English guide to Better Access MBS item numbers: GP mental health plan items, psychologist items, session limits and the November 2025 changes.
Do I need a GP review after 6 psychology sessions?
Yes. Under Better Access a Medicare referral covers up to 6 psychology sessions. Your GP must review your plan before referring you for the rest.
Allied health
Is physiotherapy GST-free in Australia?
Physiotherapy is generally GST-free when it meets the three conditions in s 38-10 of the GST Act. Here is what is covered and what can still attract GST.
How many CDM allied health sessions per year on Medicare?
Medicare's chronic condition management items allow up to 5 allied health services per calendar year, shared across all providers. Here is how the cap works.
Support at Home allied health funding in 2026
How allied health is funded under Support at Home in 2026: clinical supports with no participant contribution, restorative care and deferred price caps.
NDIS physio price limit per hour
The NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27 keeps the national physiotherapy price limit at $183.99 per hour from 1 July 2026. See remote rates and claiming rules.
Is a speech pathology report GST free?
A speech pathology report is GST-free when it is part of treatment or an NDIS plan support. Reports for schools, lawyers or employers are usually taxable.
Can I bill Medicare and the NDIS for physio?
A physio can hold a Medicare provider number and NDIS funding, but not for the same session. Learn which funder pays for what and how to bill correctly.
Allied health third party reports and GST
Do allied health reports for insurers, lawyers, employers or the NDIA attract GST? A plain guide to the recipient test, section 38-60 and the NDIS rules.
Mental health
The Mental Health Treatment Plan, explained
A Mental Health Treatment Plan is the GP-prepared gateway to Medicare psychology rebates under Better Access. Here is what it is and what it unlocks.
How many Medicare sessions on a mental health care plan?
A mental health care plan gives up to 10 individual Medicare sessions per calendar year under Better Access, released after a GP review. Here is how.
When can someone be admitted to hospital involuntarily?
A plain English guide to involuntary mental health admission in Australia: the common criteria, who can start the process and how tribunals review it.
Is there a duty to warn in Australia?
Australia has no settled Tarasoff style duty to warn. Privacy law exceptions, mandatory reporting and professional codes set when clinicians may disclose.
Psychosocial disability and NDIS access
How people with psychosocial disability qualify for the NDIS under section 24 of the NDIS Act 2013, what evidence works and how recovery fits with it.
How many Better Access sessions can you get in 2026?
In 2026 Better Access gives Medicare rebates for up to 10 individual and 10 group psychological therapy sessions per calendar year. How the sessions work.
Childcare
The 3 Day Guarantee for Child Care Subsidy, explained
From 5 January 2026 the 3 Day Guarantee replaced the CCS activity test. See what it means and how many subsidised hours your family can get.
What happened to the Child Care Subsidy activity test?
The Child Care Subsidy activity test was replaced by the 3 Day Guarantee on 5 January 2026. Here is what changed and what activity still affects.
Educator to child ratios, by age and state
Educator to child ratios are set under the National Law and National Regulations. See the common ratios by age and where states differ.
The National Quality Standard: the 7 quality areas summarised
A plain English summary of the seven quality areas of Australia's National Quality Standard, what each one covers and how services are rated against them.
What is the childcare incident notification timeframe?
Serious incidents in Australian childcare must be notified to the regulatory authority within 24 hours. What counts, the 7 day category and how to notify.
How is the Child Care Subsidy calculated?
Child Care Subsidy is worked out from family income, an hourly rate cap and subsidised hours. A plain English guide to how the three parts fit together.
Assessment and rating: what to expect
What happens before, during and after an NQS assessment and rating visit, from notice and the QIP to the draft report, ratings and review rights.
Foster & kinship carers
Foster care allowance: how it works
The foster care allowance helps carers with the cost of raising a child in care. It is set by each state or territory and varies by where you live.
What does the foster care allowance cover?
The foster care allowance covers a child's everyday living costs. Larger and one off costs are often met separately. Details vary by state.
Can foster carers travel interstate with a child?
Foster carers usually can travel interstate with a child in care, but overnight trips normally need agency or department approval first. What to check.
Kinship care payments in Australia
A plain English guide to kinship care payments in Australia: state care allowances, Family Tax Benefit and Carer Allowance, and how they fit together.
Can you get Carer Allowance for a foster child?
Foster and kinship carers can claim Carer Allowance for a child in their care who has a disability or medical condition. How the test works and what to do.
Foster carer decision making rights, explained
What decisions foster and kinship carers can make for a child in care, which need agency or department approval, and how the rules differ by state.
Centrelink & Medicare
Carer Payment vs Carer Allowance: the difference
Carer Payment is income support for full time carers. Carer Allowance is a smaller daily care payment. Here is how they differ and who gets which.
Can I get Carer Payment and Carer Allowance together?
Yes, you can receive both Carer Payment and Carer Allowance at once if you meet the rules for each. Here is how the two payments fit together.
Carer Payment eligibility, explained
Carer Payment eligibility: constant care, the 25 hour rule, and the income and assets tests. Verify current figures with Services Australia.
How many hours can I work on Carer Payment?
Carer Payment now uses a 100 hour limit over four weeks instead of 25 hours a week. What counts, what does not, and what happens if you go over.
How to claim Carer Allowance
A step by step guide to claiming Carer Allowance through Services Australia: eligibility, the medical report, claiming online and what happens next.
Can you get Family Tax Benefit and Carer Allowance together?
Yes, you can receive Family Tax Benefit and Carer Allowance at the same time. How each payment is tested, and whether one affects the other.
How does the Carer Payment income test work?
Carer Payment uses the pension income test, plus a separate income and assets test for the person you care for. How both work and what to check.
Brand / category
Using ChatGPT for NDIS and aged care questions: what to know
Can you use ChatGPT for NDIS and aged care questions? What general chatbots get wrong about Australian law and what a grounded tool does differently.
How to keep up with changing NDIS and aged care rules
A practical guide to staying current with NDIS and aged care rules: official sources to follow, a simple monthly routine and how to brief your team.
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