Funding
No referral needed
Anyone can contact Sense Therapies directly — there is no need for a GP or paediatrician to refer you before therapy starts. Some kinds of funding need paperwork to claim a rebate (a Medicare plan from your GP, for example), and we will tell you exactly what to bring, but the therapy itself can begin as soon as a place is available.
Your first session with us is a parent consultation — you and your therapist, without your child — to set goals and priorities before therapy starts.
We accept the funding below. If yours is not listed, or you are not sure which applies, email us at hello@sensetherapies.au and we will work it out with you.
Funding types and how each one works
NDIS — plan-managed
Your plan manager pays us. We invoice them directly after each session under Capacity Building — Improved Daily Living. A service agreement sets out the supports before we start.
NDIS — self-managed
If you have elected to self-manage your NDIS funds, the invoice is sent to you by email and text on the day of the session, and you can pay through your Sense Therapies parent portal. A service agreement sets out the supports before we start.
Medicare — Chronic Disease Management plan
Your GP can prepare a Chronic Disease Management (CDM) plan with a referral to allied health — up to five sessions a calendar year across all allied health providers. We bill you as usual, and we give you everything you need to claim the rebate back from Medicare yourself — the receipt with the item numbers and your referral details (the same goes for private health). Bring the referral letter before the first session so it is on file. One thing to know: your first session with us is a parent consultation, and a Medicare rebate cannot be used for it, because the child has to be present for a Medicare session — the rebates start from the first session your child attends. Medicare also has items for children with a complex neurodevelopmental disorder or disability, referred by a paediatrician or psychiatrist; tell us if you have one of those referrals.
Private health insurance
Extras cover often rebates part of an Occupational Therapy, Speech Pathology or Psychology session. Check with your insurer for cover on the relevant therapy and your annual limit. You pay on the day and claim with your fund; every invoice carries the item numbers funds ask for (initial and subsequent consultations, and group programs).
Self-funded
No funding needed. Private-paying families pay the same session fees as NDIS participants — the current fees are on the booking site — by card, bank transfer or direct debit, with invoices due within seven days.
Fees follow the Sense Therapies fee schedule and the NDIS Pricing Arrangements in force at the time, and are set out in your service agreement. Cancellations with less than two clear business days’ notice are charged in full — but the time still belongs to you: ask to switch the session to telehealth, or message your therapist to use the time for non-face-to-face work for your child (resources, a report, a phone consultation) instead.
Where do I start?
Three clear pathways — individual therapy, a group program, or Sense in Schools — and each takes you straight to the right place.