Many families, carers and support coordinators in Perth ask the same question before booking a home visit: if the physiotherapist comes to us, who actually pays the travel cost? It is a fair question, and it has become even more important since the NDIS changed the way therapy travel can be billed from 1 July 2025. Under the current rules, therapy providers such as physiotherapists can claim travel time at up to half of the relevant price limit, and the NDIA says travel time and therapy time should be shown separately on invoices.
The short answer is this: in many cases, the travel cost is paid from the participant’s NDIS funding, not by a GP and not through ordinary Medicare referral pathways, if the physiotherapy is an approved NDIS therapy support, the provider is allowed to claim provider travel under the Pricing Arrangements, and the travel terms have been agreed in advance in the service agreement. In other words, the participant may not be paying out of pocket, but the cost can still come out of the participant’s NDIS plan, which is why clarity matters from the start.
Physiotherapy is one of the therapy supports the NDIS can fund. The NDIS explains that therapy supports are designed to help people build or maintain skills and independence in everyday life, including mobility and movement, and it specifically lists physiotherapy as a fundable therapy type. The same guidance also explains that funded therapy supports are generally treated as stated supports, which means the therapy funding is there for that support and cannot simply be switched to something else.
When it comes to travel, the numbers are now clearer than they used to be. The current NDIS Pricing Arrangements list the national therapeutic-supports hourly price limit for a physiotherapist as $183.99, and the NDIA’s travel update says therapy providers can claim up to $92.00 per hour for travel time, which is half that rate. In metro areas, the usual travel-time cap is 30 minutes each way; in regional areas, it is 60 minutes each way. Remote and very remote areas have different settings again.
Travel is not only about time. The NDIS rules also allow providers to claim non-labour travel costs when provider travel is otherwise claimable. That can include parking, tolls and vehicle running costs, and the current Pricing Arrangements say that for a vehicle owned by the provider or worker, a contribution of up to $0.99 per kilometre is considered reasonable. If a clinician is travelling to more than one participant in the same region, those travel costs can be apportioned between participants, but only where that arrangement has been agreed in advance.
That is exactly why your service agreement matters so much. The NDIA says a good service agreement should set out what supports are being provided, how much they cost, how the provider will be paid, and the cost of provider travel. The Pricing Arrangements also state that the participant must have agreed to the travel costs in advance, so if travel fees are vague, open-ended or not mentioned at all, it is worth pausing and asking for the agreement to be updated before the first session goes ahead.
How the invoice is processed then depends on how the participant manages their funding. The NDIA says payment arrangements for allied health providers depend on whether the participant is self-managed, plan-managed or NDIA-managed. On its own NDIS page, RAS Mobile Physio Perth says it works with plan-managed and self-managed participants, invoices plan managers directly for plan-managed clients, and provides clear invoicing and flexible service agreements for self-managed clients.
If you want to keep travel charges under control, the best step is not arguing after the invoice arrives; it is asking the right questions before you sign. Ask whether the provider clusters nearby appointments, what travel window is typically charged for your suburb, whether non-labour travel is added on top, and whether travel and treatment will always be itemised separately. The NDIA says providers should help keep participant travel costs as low as possible, for example by coordinating appointments with other participants in the same area or using telehealth where it is suitable.
There are also some very clear red flags. The NDIA says registered providers must not add charges such as gap fees, credit-card surcharges or other additional fees on top of the support cost. It also says plan managers cannot pay invoices above the NDIS price limit, even if the support was purchased from an unregistered provider. So if an invoice shows unexplained extras, travel that has not been agreed, or charges that are not separately itemised, that is something to question immediately.
Support coordinators can help with this process as well. Official NDIS guidance says support coordinators help participants understand their budgets, what they can claim, when they need service agreements, and how to find the right providers for their needs. If a family is unsure whether a proposed travel arrangement is reasonable, having the support coordinator review the service agreement before services begin is a sensible step.
For Perth participants, choosing a genuinely local provider can make a practical difference. Shorter routes often mean more predictable travel charges, easier scheduling and less plan funding disappearing into provider travel. RAS Mobile Physio Perth says it is an NDIS-registered mobile provider covering the Perth metropolitan area, is accepting new NDIS clients, and has both an NDIS service page and a referral pathway already in place for participants, carers and referrers.
The bottom line is simple: the NDIS plan often pays legitimate mobile physiotherapy travel costs, but only within the rules. That means the travel must be funded as part of the participant’s support arrangement, agreed in advance, kept within the applicable caps, and shown clearly on the invoice. If you understand those basics before the first visit, you are much less likely to be surprised later.
Frequently asked questions
Does mobile physio travel come out of my transport budget?
Usually, no. The NDIS explains that recurring transport funding is for the participant’s own travel to places like work, study and community activities. Provider travel for a home-visit physiotherapist is a separate provider-travel claim type under the NDIS pricing rules.
Can a physiotherapist charge both session time and travel time?
Yes, if the support item allows provider travel, the cost has been agreed in advance, and the billing follows the NDIS rules. The NDIA also says travel time and therapy time should be shown separately on invoices.
Can petrol, parking or tolls be added as well?
They can be, but only as non-labour travel costs under the rules, and only where those costs are allowed and agreed. The Pricing Arrangements say reasonable contributions can include vehicle running costs, tolls and parking.
Can my support coordinator help me compare travel charges between providers?
Yes. The NDIS says support coordinators can help you understand what you can claim, review service agreements and choose the right providers for your needs.