When it comes to NDIS billable hours, there remains some uncertainty about what can be billed and what cannot. This confusion might be greater for providers also operating under other billing frameworks apart from the NDIS. This guide aims to help you better understand how can you claim NDIS billable hours.

Essentially, the time you spend with an NDIS participant, whether in person or through telehealth, is considered billable. What about other types of services that can be billed too? Let’s dive into them.

1. Non-Face-to-Face Supports

Under the NDIS, you can also claim for non-face-to-face services. These can be tasks like emailing or making phone calls to and the participant or another provider, provided they meet the criteria outlined in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits.

It may also involve case meetings or research specifically related to the participant’s needs and goals.

However, administrative activities such as booking appointments or preparing NDIS invoices are not billable.

2. Travel

Time spent travelling to meet a participant, such as visiting them at their home or school, is also billable under the NDIS, but only under specific conditions set out in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits.

In short, you can claim for travel if:

• The NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits allow NDIS travel claims for the support item in question.
• You are delivering specific disability support to the participant in person.
• You have explained to the participant why charging for travel is a good use of their plan funds.
• You have a prior agreement with the participant, including an understanding of the travel costs involved.
• You are required to compensate your support workers for their travel time (sole traders can also claim if they travel from their usual place of work or between participants).

You can claim for travel both to and from the participant’s location, up to a maximum of 30 minutes each way in MMM1-3 areas and up to 60 minutes each way in MMM4-5 areas. Travel time is billed based on your usual hourly rate for delivering the service.

In addition to billing for time spent travelling, the NDIA recognises the following non-labour costs as reasonable contributions towards travel expenses:

• Up to $0.85 per kilometre for an unmodified vehicle, and
• Other transport costs (e.g. road tolls, parking, public transport fares) up to their full value.

For example, if your support worker travels 10 kilometres each way which takes 15 mins of driving, from their office to attend a one-hour appointment at a participant’s home, this travel is billable. So in total, what you can bill includes:

Note: Non-labour travel costs (e.g. kilometres, tolls, parking) are invoiced using separate line items, which vary depending on the specific service delivered.

3. Short Notice Cancellations

The NDIS allows for billing of short-notice cancellations if certain conditions in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits are met. A brief summary of these conditions includes:

• The participant fails to attend the appointment within a reasonable time frame.
• For services under eight hours and less than $1,000 in value, the participant provides fewer than two business days’ notice to cancel; for larger or longer appointments, five days’ notice is required.
• The NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits permit billing for short-notice cancellations for the specific support item.
• You have an agreement in place with the participant about charging for short-notice cancellations.
• You were unable to find alternative work for the staff member and must still pay them for their time.

4. NDIA-Requested Reports

Lastly, reports requested by the NDIA are billable. These are distinct from reports requested by participants for other reasons. For example, if a participant asks their Occupational Therapist to prepare a Progress Report for an upcoming plan review, this would be considered an NDIA-requested report and is billable.

Conclusion

The examples above serve as a helpful guide for understanding NDIS billable hours. However, each situation is unique, and it’s essential to follow the NDIS price guide to avoid mistakes and maximise your earnings. Billing under the NDIS can be complex, but using the right tools can make a world of difference.

That’s where Comm.care NDIS invoicing comes in. Comm.care helps you avoid rejected NDIS payments and get paid faster. With advanced automation, Comm.care enables you to generate thousands of accurate and compliant invoices with just a few clicks. It also keeps your NDIS price guide automatically updated, ensures correct line items are billed, and streamlines bulk claims uploads directly to PRODA or accounting systems like Xero, MYOB, or QuickBooks.

By using Comm.care, you’ll not only improve your cash flow but also free up time to focus on delivering the best care for your clients.

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