Health | NDIS

On this page:

What health supports are not NDIS supports?
Examples of health supports that are not NDIS supports
What are we responsible for?
Examples of supports that may be NDIS supports for you
Example

Health is about how our body works, and who helps us if we have injuries or illnesses.

The health system includes:

government health departments
hospitals and community health care centres
doctors and health care professionals, such as general practitioners and paediatricians
medicines and treatments, for example through Medicare.

We have separate information about mental health and psychosocial disability in the next section.

We also have a guideline on disability-related health supports.

Treating and diagnosing health conditions, including ongoing or chronic health conditions
Early intervention and preventative health for health conditions – help to stop you getting sick in the future, such as help for weight loss, or to reduce your smoking, drinking or drug use
Diagnostic assessments and screening services
Services and therapies to help you pursue a goal or outcome over a set period of time, where the main purpose is treatment directly related to your health
Short-term services and therapies after a recent surgery or medical event, to help you pursue a goal or outcome over a set period of time and improve what you’re able to do. For example, rehabilitation and follow-up care
Medicines and pharmaceuticals
Equipment or assistive products you need because of clinical care, treatment or management, not your disability
Surgical services or procedures related to aids and equipment
Acute, subacute, emergency and outpatient services – hospital services for illness and injury, and follow-up care such as rehabilitation
Prescription glasses or contact lenses
Medical services like general practitioners, medical specialist services, dental care and nursing
Ambulance and other health transport services
Hospital in the home services – admitted acute care services provided in your home, similar to what you get in a hospital
Sleep consultant services
Health retreats
Newborn follow-up, including child and maternal health services
Hearing services or supports provided by the Hearing Services Program , or surgery for your hearing
Sub-acute palliative care – such as end of life care, either in your own home or in a hospital or clinical setting
Allied health services, such as physiotherapy and optometry, to improve the health of all Australians
Care in public and private hospitals
Clinical or medical supports for young children, including acute care in a hospital setting, and outpatient and continuing care where the child doesn’t stay in hospital
Other services that all Australians are entitled to that aim to improve your health status

Assessing, diagnosing, and treating illnesses and injuries, for example with therapy supports
Assessing and diagnosing disabilities such as autism
Screening and referral for developmental delay including developmental concerns
Treatment for chronic health conditions , such as cancer, kidney disease, lung disease, diabetes, obesity, and back pain – this can include allied health therapies such as physiotherapy
Discharge planning from hospital
Rehabilitation, restorative care and therapy after an injury, such as a spinal cord injury or a severe brain injury
Geriatric care – medical care of older or elderly people
Interim prosthetics – the first prosthetic or artificial limb you get after an amputation
Assistive technology and equipment to treat a medical or health condition, both at home and in hospital
General hearing, vision and podiatry services that aren’t related to your disability, such as prescription glasses, or hearing aids for older Australians
Case management or planning that’s mainly related to your health supports
Follow-up medical supports for young children in their home after a medical event or premature birth, such as nursing care and medical supplies

What are we responsible for?

We’re responsible for NDIS supports that help you go about your daily life and are related to your disability support needs, which you need on an ongoing or regular basis.

This includes maintenance NDIS supports which are given or supervised by qualified healthcare staff. These are ongoing supports that help you keep your body’s functions and abilities. This could include long-term therapy or support to improve your abilities over time or stop things from getting worse.

We’re responsible for these maintenance NDIS supports if:

the support is directly related to your disability-related impairments that impact your functional capacity – the things you can and can’t do because of your disability
you also need the support so you can continue to live in the community, study or work.

Remember, NDIS supports must meet all the NDIS funding criteria before we can include them in your plan.

Supports to help you live at home, such as personal care supports , help to learn how to manage your personal care, and home modifications
Regular therapy that’s directly related to the things you can and can’t do because of your disability – for example, occupational therapy, physiotherapy or speech pathology
Help to plan the ongoing disability-specific supports you’ll need, after you’re discharged from a hospital or other inpatient health service
Prosthetics and orthotics that relate to your disability – artificial limbs and aids to help make your arms, legs, and other body parts stronger, such as leg braces
Hearing and vision supports that relate to your disability support needs
Training, delegation and supervision of care for disability-related health supports – that is, a registered nurse may train an enrolled nurse, support worker or informal supports, and provide periodic supervision and oversight
Communication or behaviour support when you’re going to a health service, or go to hospital but are not admitted as an inpatient
Training for hospital staff in your disability-specific needs if you’re admitted in hospital as an inpatient
Training for support workers to respond to your complex care needs
Assistive technology to help you be as independent as possible at home and in the community, including for disability-related health supports such as catheter changes
Regular supports you need for your disability, if you’re already a participant and start receiving palliative or end-of-life care – these supports can work alongside the palliative care you get from the health system
Assessment by health professionals to help us plan and think about your disability support needs
Help to plan and coordinate your supports if you need both health and disability services – this could be an early childhood partner, local area coordinator or support coordinator

Example

Sami is quite sick and is taken to hospital. The hospital staff say he needs to be admitted to hospital for a few days. Sami uses a communication device to help him speak with the hospital staff.

The health system should provide all the support he needs for his illness. For example, hospital staff may do medical tests, provide medicine, and perform any surgery Sami needs.

The health system may also have a follow-up appointment a few weeks after he leaves hospital, to make sure he is well.

The health system should provide any rehabilitation Sami needs to recover from the illness.

We may fund NDIS supports to make sure the hospital staff understand Sami’s disability support needs.

For example, we may fund a support worker to handover communication information, and help staff learn how Sami uses his communication device.

This will help the hospital staff better understand and meet Sami’s support needs during his stay.