Can an OT bill travel time to the NDIS?
Yes. An occupational therapist can claim provider travel to and from a participant under the NDIS pricing rules, but only within set limits and only if the participant has agreed in advance. Since 1 July 2025 therapy travel time is paid at half the therapy price limit, capped by travel zone, plus modest non labour costs such as kilometres, tolls and parking.
NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27 (formerly NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits)
NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 2025-26, provider travel rules
NDIA news, Travel claiming rules, gap fees and other costs (July 2025)
NDIS Code of Conduct
The travel time limits
Provider travel is the therapist's time getting to the participant and, in some cases, back to their usual place of work. Under the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits, renamed the NDIS Pricing Schedule for 2026-27, a therapist in a Modified Monash Model area of MMM1 to MMM3, which covers cities and large regional centres, can claim up to 30 minutes of travel each way. In MMM4 and MMM5 areas the cap is 60 minutes. In remote and very remote areas, MMM6 and MMM7, there is no time cap but the claim must still be reasonable. Travel time is claimed against the participant's Capacity Building Improved Daily Living budget using the provider travel line item that sits alongside the therapy item.
The 50 per cent rule and other costs
From 1 July 2025 the NDIA cut the labour rate for therapy travel to 50 per cent of the therapy price limit. For an OT this means the travel hour is claimed at half the OT hourly limit, and the 2026-27 schedule lists a separate provider travel item at that half rate. On top of time, a provider can claim non labour costs: a per kilometre amount for using their own vehicle, plus actual tolls, parking and public transport fares. When one trip serves several participants, time and kilometres must be apportioned between them with each person's agreement. Return travel from the last participant can only be claimed under the conditions the rules set out.
Agreement comes first
None of this can be claimed unless the participant has agreed to travel charges in advance, ideally in the written service agreement, and the invoice shows travel as a separate line. Plan managers will often reject a travel claim that is bundled into the therapy hour. Participants who are self managed can negotiate lower or no travel charges. The NDIS Code of Conduct requirement to act with integrity and transparency applies to travel just as much as to therapy time.
Check the current rules
For 2026-27 the NDIA published a Pricing Schedule with the item numbers and price limits but, at the time of writing, had not republished the full claiming rules that previously sat in the Pricing Arrangements document. Providers are generally applying the 2025-26 rules priced at 2026-27 rates. Before you finalise a billing policy, check the NDIA pricing arrangements page for any new claiming rules document or addendum, and keep a note of the version you relied on.
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