NDIS Pricing Changes for 2026–27: What Providers Should Review in Their Service Agreements
- Joanne Devine
- Jul 7
- 8 min read
Information current as at 7 July 2026
The release of a new NDIS Pricing Schedule can make July feel like a straightforward rate update exercise.
However, NDIS pricing changes involve more than simply replacing an old price with a new one.
Before changing what a participant is charged, providers need to check the correct support item, understand how the support can be claimed, review the participant’s existing agreement and explain any proposed change clearly.
The NDIS Pricing Schedule for 2026–27 took effect on 1 July 2026. It contains support item numbers, item names, units of claim, and national, remote and very remote maximum price guidance. The NDIA states that providers may use the schedule to inform their pricing, but proposed changes to existing service agreements must be discussed with participants and agreed to before they are made.
This article outlines the practical areas providers should review before updating their service agreements, internal systems or invoices.
A New Maximum Price Does Not Automatically Change an Existing Agreement
One of the most important points in the 2026–27 pricing update is that the published amount is not an automatic instruction to charge that amount.
The pricing schedule provides the NDIA’s guidance on appropriate and reasonable maximum prices. Providers can use that information when setting their rates, but participants must agree to proposed changes to an existing service agreement before those changes are applied.
Before increasing or otherwise changing a rate, providers should be able to answer:
What is the current agreed price?
What new price is being proposed?
Which support item applies?
When would the change take effect?
Has the participant received clear information about the change?
Has the participant agreed?
How will that agreement be recorded?
A statement such as “rates automatically increase when the NDIS price guide changes” may not provide participants with enough clarity or choice. It is better to have a documented process for reviewing rates, explaining proposed changes and recording the outcome.
NDIS Pricing Changes: What Providers Should Review
The schedule covers a wide range of supports, and the changes will not affect every provider in the same way.
Some notable examples include:
Psychology supports listed at a national maximum of $252.99 per hour
Dietitian supports listed at $178.99 per hour
Exercise physiology supports listed at $161.99 per hour
Support Connection listed at $80.06 per hour
Coordination of Supports listed at $100.14 per hour
Specialist Support Coordination listed at $190.54 per hour
Plan Management listed at $104.45 per month
These examples should not be treated as a complete pricing summary. Providers should confirm the exact item, delivery method, location and claiming conditions relevant to their service.
Separate therapy activities
The 2026–27 therapy tables include separate support items for activities such as:
Direct service
Telehealth
Non-face-to-face work
Provider travel
NDIA-requested reports
Cancellations
For example, the psychologist and dietitian tables separately identify direct service, non-face-to-face support, travel, requested reports, telehealth and cancellations.
This means providers should review more than the main hourly rate. Their service agreements, invoices and internal billing systems should distinguish between the different activities being charged.
Short Term Accommodation
The 2026–27 schedule lists Short Term Accommodation support by time of day and day of the week, with separate items for standard and high-intensity support. It also includes separate daily accommodation items for the participant and support worker.
Providers delivering Short Term Accommodation should carefully review:
What the participant is being charged for
Which parts relate to disability support
Which parts relate to accommodation
How support hours are calculated
Whether high-intensity pricing is applicable
How the proposed arrangement is explained in the service agreement
A single bundled description may no longer provide enough detail for the participant to understand how the total cost has been calculated.
Start by Checking the Correct Support Item
A familiar service name does not always mean the same support item should continue to be used.
For every support your organisation delivers, check:
Support item number
Support item name
Unit of claim, such as hour, day, month or each
National, remote or very remote price
Delivery type, where separate items apply
Whether the item remains current
Whether the provider meets any applicable requirements
Whether the support matches what is actually being delivered
This review should be completed before changing the service agreement or invoicing system.
Using an outdated code or applying the correct price to the wrong support item can create problems even where the overall dollar amount appears reasonable.
Review the Pricing Section of the Service Agreement
The NDIA describes a service agreement as an agreement covering matters such as what supports will be delivered, how they will be delivered, how much they cost, how the provider will be paid and how changes will be managed. A good agreement may also identify travel costs, materials, additional fees, GST where relevant and cancellation arrangements.
When reviewing a service agreement for 2026–27, check whether it clearly addresses the following areas.
The agreed rate
The agreement should identify the actual amount the participant will be charged, rather than referring only to “the current NDIS rate”.
Consider including:
Support item name
Support item number
Unit of charge
Agreed price
Applicable weekday, evening, weekend or public-holiday rate
Remote or very remote loading, where relevant
How prices may be reviewed
The agreement should explain:
When prices may be reviewed
How the participant will be informed
How much notice will be provided
Whether written confirmation is required
When an agreed change will begin
What happens if the participant does not agree
A pricing review clause should not remove the need for meaningful communication with the participant.
Additional charges
The agreement should clearly identify any charges that may arise in addition to direct service delivery, such as:
Provider travel
Activity-based transport
Non-face-to-face work
Report preparation
NDIA-requested reports
Short-notice cancellations
Materials or entry costs
Other agreed fees
These charges should only be included where they are relevant, permitted and agreed.
Consider the Effect on the Participant’s Budget
A rate change may affect more than the amount shown on an invoice.
Even a relatively small increase can reduce the number of support hours available across the life of a participant’s plan.
Before proposing a change, consider:
The participant’s remaining budget
How frequently supports are delivered
How long the funding needs to last
Whether other providers are drawing from the same budget
Whether the participant may receive fewer support hours
Whether changes to travel or non-face-to-face charges will affect utilisation
Whether the proposed arrangement remains sustainable for the participant
For example, if a participant has a fixed allocation for therapy and the hourly rate increases, the participant may need to reconsider the frequency of appointments, report-writing hours or other supports funded from that category.
Clear communication allows the participant to make an informed decision rather than discovering the effect later through reduced funds.
Communicate Proposed Changes in an Accessible Way
Participants should not need to interpret a long pricing document to understand what is changing.
A pricing-change notice should plainly explain:
The support affected
The current price
The proposed price
The proposed commencement date
The reason for the review
Any related travel, cancellation or non-face-to-face rates
How the change may affect the participant’s budget or available hours
Who the participant can contact with questions
How they can accept, decline or discuss the proposal
Information should be provided in a format and language the participant can understand. The NDIA also recommends that service agreements use understandable language and explain when the agreement will be reviewed and how changes will be managed.
Depending on the participant’s communication needs, this may involve:
Plain-English wording
Easy Read information
A verbal explanation supported by written confirmation
Additional processing time
Involvement of a nominee, guardian or authorised representative
An interpreter or communication support
Accessible communication is not an administrative extra. It is part of ensuring the participant understands what they are agreeing to.
Record the Participant’s Decision
Once the proposed change has been discussed, keep a clear record of the outcome.
This may include:
Date the proposed change was provided
Method of communication
Information supplied to the participant
Questions raised
Any amendments negotiated
Whether agreement was given
Who provided the agreement
Date the new price will take effect
Updated service agreement or schedule of supports
Email or other written confirmation
Avoid relying only on an undocumented conversation.
A clear record protects both parties and helps prevent later disagreement about the rate, commencement date or terms that were accepted.
Update More Than the Service Agreement
A pricing change can create inconsistencies if it is updated in one document but not everywhere else.
After agreement has been obtained, check whether the change needs to be reflected in:
Schedule of supports
Quotes
Participant budget projections
Service bookings or provider relationships
Rostering software
Practice-management systems
Accounting and invoicing software
Price lists
Cancellation fee settings
Travel calculations
Report-writing rates
Website information
Staff instructions
Provider information packs
Document registers and version-control records
The effective date should also be consistent across these systems.
Invoices issued before the agreed commencement date should continue to use the previously agreed price unless another arrangement has been made.
Do Service Agreements Have to Be in Writing?
In most situations, the NDIA says a written service agreement is recommended but not mandatory. Written service agreements are mandatory for Specialist Disability Accommodation supports.
Even where a written agreement is not compulsory, documenting the pricing arrangement can provide clarity about:
What has been agreed
What the participant will pay
Which additional charges may apply
How changes will be handled
What happens if either party wishes to end the arrangement
Where the agreement is updated, both parties should have access to the current version.
A Practical 2026–27 Pricing Review Checklist
Before applying a new price, providers should confirm that they have:
Reviewed the current 2026–27 Pricing Schedule
Checked each applicable support item and unit
Compared current and proposed prices
Reviewed travel, cancellation and non-face-to-face items
Considered the effect on the participant’s budget
Checked the existing service agreement
Explained the proposal clearly to the participant
Allowed the participant to ask questions or negotiate
Obtained and recorded agreement
Confirmed the commencement date
Updated the schedule of supports
Updated billing and operational systems
Provided the participant with an updated copy
Retained evidence of the review and agreement
Final Thoughts
The 2026–27 pricing update is not only a finance or billing task.
It is also a communication and documentation process.
Providers should avoid assuming that a newly published maximum price automatically replaces the price already agreed with a participant. The safer approach is to check the relevant support item, review the agreement, explain the proposed change, consider its effect on the participant’s plan and record the participant’s decision.
A clear process can reduce misunderstandings and help participants remain informed about how their funding is being used.
The most important question is not simply:
“What is the new maximum price?”
It is:
“What price and terms have this participant and provider clearly agreed to?”
Disclaimer
This article provides general administrative and operational information only. It does not constitute legal, financial, accounting, regulatory or compliance advice. Providers should review the current NDIS Pricing Schedule, applicable claiming guidance, their individual service arrangements and professional advice where required. Pricing information may be updated, so always confirm the current official documents before making changes.
