NextSense says the 2024-2025 NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) Pricing Review has made key recommendations that will impact NextSense and the sector more broadly from 1 July 2025.
Meanwhile a new Grattan Institute report has outlined a way forward, recommending the government make a new National Disability Agreement called NDA to ensure all services for people with disability work together and that NDIS money is used in the best way.
The government has published the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits (PAPL) 2025-2026 following the release of the 2024-25 Annual Pricing Review recommendations.
NextSense said the recommendations, which had been accepted, included the following key impacts to NextSense:
- a 50% cut to the amount claimable for travel to deliver home and community-based therapy services (see further details below);
- a $10 per hour cut to the agreed price for physiotherapy services;
- $10 per hour increase to the agreed price for psychology services;
- and no increase to the hourly rate for all other therapies.
“We share the concerns expressed in the sector about the latest NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits,” NextSense said in a statement.
“The current one-size-fits-all approach to NDIS service funding puts quality specialist providers at a disadvantage and does not support the long-term sustainability of the sector.
“It will make us even more reliant on the generous philanthropic support we receive.”
NextSense suggested that future pricing structures should recognise registered providers who deliver complex, specialist care so participants get the choice.
“We also want to be clear that we will continue to provide high-quality services to all those who need us,” the statement said.
“Our wide range of experienced therapists, including physiotherapists, psychologists, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, orthoptists, audiologists, Teachers of the Deaf, and Teachers of Vision will continue to provide best-practice care as they have always done.”
NextSense said it would monitor the ongoing impact of changes such as reduced rates for physiotherapy and travel to home appointments and appointments in community or education settings.
“We will endeavour to work with the NDIS to better support evidence-based therapies such as intervention for children in their home or community environments,” it said.
NextSense said that working with families in their own environment meant that children who needed it could receive true wraparound support, “where families can continue the work that we do in scheduled appointments to maximise their child’s potential”.
“This is critically important for children’s development and their ability to progress and meet their milestones and goals,” the organisation said.
“As a leading provider with specialist insights and expertise we believe we have an important role to play in co-designing an NDIS that is sustainable and recognises client-first quality services.
“We hope to be able to work with our peers in the disability services sector and with the NDIS leadership on these important conversations moving forward.”
Hearing supports detailed
The hearing supports category in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 2025-2026 document outlines support items which provide for hearing services not covered under the MBS performed by a suitably qualified audiologist or audiometrist.
The document says these support items can be delivered to individual participants subject to the rules set out in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits.
These support items can only be delivered by the following types of professionals:
- An audiologist who is certified as an Audiology Australia Accredited Audiologist or a current full member as an audiologist of the Australian College of Audiology incorporating the Hearing Aid Audiology Society of Australia (ACAud inc. HAASA).
- An audiometrist who is a current full member of ACAud in. HAASA.
In line with the rules for provider travel for therapy providers, the hourly price limit for provider travel is 50% of the regular price limit. For example, where an audiologist travelled 30 minutes to a participant, the price limit for this travel time would be $48.50, not $97.
As well as direct service provision, these support items can be used to claim for:
- Non-face-to-face support provision
- Provider travel.
- Short notice cancellation – two clear business days
- NDIA requested reports
Providers of this support can also claim for the costs of:
- Provider travel non-labour costs using support item 01_799_0119_1_1 or 15_799_0119_1_3 or 01_799_0134_1_1 or 15_799_0134_1_3, depending on their registration group.
The support items are subject to the price limits set out in the table below:
| Item Number | Item Name and Notes | Unit | National | Remote | Very Remote |
| 15_501_0119_1_3 | Provision of Hearing Services by an Audiologist | Hour | $193.99 | $271.59 | $290.99 |
| 15_502_0134_1_3 | Provision of Hearing Services by an Audiologist | Hour | $193.99 | $271.59 | $290.99 |
| 15_503_0134_1_3 | Provision of Hearing Services by an Audiometrist | Hour | $166.83 | $233.56 | $250.25 |
Table: NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 2025-2026. Source: NDIS.gov.au
Grattan Institute report outlines way forward
The Grattan Institute Report, Saving the NDIS, released on 30 June 2025, acknowledges the urgent need for systemic reform and discusses how to rebalance disability services to get better results.
It says the NDIS has grown too big too fast and now its future is at stake.
The report says most people with disability cannot get the NDIS and people who do not get the NDIS do not get the support they need, while others who get the NDIS don’t get what they need from it.
The report recommends the government changes the rules about who can get the NDIS, the types of support they can get, how much money they can get, and give more choice and help to plan their supports.
“The rules should make sure people who get the NDIS can get foundational supports if they need them,” the report said. “There should be more foundational supports for children with disability and people with psychosocial disability.”
Foundational supports are for services and support for people with disability who aren’t on the NDIS. People on the NDIS can also receive them.
“People should be able to get foundational supports in places like schools, libraries and local providers in the community,” the report said. “The government should fund foundational supports with NDIS money and more people should get foundational supports.”
