Telehealth Check-Ins With Your OT or Physio Under NDIS Rules

Published by SESI Care Services · Updated August 2026 · 2-minute summary

Quick answer: Yes, your occupational therapist (OT) or physiotherapist can see you by video call under the NDIS if you agree and the therapist judges it clinically appropriate. It is claimed from Capacity Building – Improved Daily Living at the same price limit as a home visit, and since 1 July 2026 it is its own invoice line. It suits check-ins and exercise reviews, not first assessments or hands-on treatment.

Key takeaways

• Telehealth is a delivery choice, not a different support. The NDIS allows it when agreed with you and clinically appropriate.
• Same price limit as in person. In 2026–27 that is up to $193.99 per hour for OT and $183.99 per hour for physio, with no travel charge for a video session.
• It shows up as its own invoice line since 1 July 2026.
• Good for progress check-ins, exercise reviews, equipment troubleshooting, carer coaching and talking through reports.
• Not for the first home assessment, hands-on treatment, or practising a risky transfer.
• You can say no. Telehealth needs your consent, and you can ask for in-person sessions at any time.

Can NDIS-funded therapy be delivered by telehealth?

Yes. The NDIS allows occupational therapy and physiotherapy to be delivered by video call or phone. The condition is that you and the therapist agree it is the right way to deliver that particular session.

First, you have to agree; nobody can switch your sessions to video without asking. Second, the session has to be clinically appropriate: the therapist judges it can safely achieve its purpose without them in the room. A chat about how your new walker is going suits video. A first check of whether you can safely step into the shower does not.

Telehealth is claimed against the same support item as an in-person session, from Capacity Building – Improved Daily Living. If that funding is not yet sorted, start with our guide to accessing in-home allied health under the NDIS in Victoria.

The NDIS Code of Conduct applies the same way on a video call as in your lounge room, and OTs and physios must be registered with their Ahpra boards whichever way they see you.

What does a telehealth session cost and how does it appear on my invoice?

A telehealth session is charged at up to the same hourly price limit as a home visit, and since 1 July 2026 it is listed as its own line on the invoice.

The NDIS pricing schedule sets the maximums: $193.99 per hour for occupational therapy and $183.99 per hour for physiotherapy in 2026–27. Those are ceilings, not a bill you pay. The practical difference is that a video session has no provider travel attached, so the total claim is usually lower than a home visit of the same length.

For a month that mixes visits and video calls, expect separate lines for in-person therapy, telehealth therapy and provider travel (in-person days only). Non-face-to-face work, such as writing up your exercise program, and any report the NDIA asked for are listed separately too. See our guide to the 2026–27 NDIS prices for what else changed.

What is telehealth good for?

Telehealth works best when the therapist mainly needs to see, ask and advise, not touch or lift.

• Progress check-ins. A short fortnightly or monthly call to review goals and adjust the plan.
• Exercise review. Your physio watches you do your exercises, corrects your form and progresses them. See building a safe home exercise routine from your physio’s plan.
• Equipment troubleshooting. A shower chair that wobbles, a frame that feels too high. The OT sees it on camera and talks you through the fix, or books a visit.
• Carer coaching. Family members and support workers can be shown a technique and have the therapist watch them try it.
• Report conversations. Going through a report before it goes to the NDIA, or a quick call after a fall so the therapist can decide whether to visit sooner.

What should still happen in person?

Anything that needs the therapist’s hands, or a real look at your home, should be face to face.

• The initial home assessment. The therapist needs to see your actual steps, doorways, bathroom and bed height, and watch you move through them. See your first in-home allied health visit.
• Hands-on treatment. Any treatment where the physio needs to feel how your body moves.
• Safety-critical transfers. Practising a new way of getting out of bed, the car or off the toilet. The therapist needs to be within reach.
• Trialling and fitting equipment, and manual handling training for carers. Both happen in the room with the real item.
• Anyone who finds video hard. If a participant cannot engage with a screen, or is distressed by it, in person is the right mode.

Many people settle into a mix: a home visit every month or two, with video check-ins between. See in-home allied health vs clinic appointments.

Which tasks suit in person and which suit telehealth?

As a rule, anything hands-on or safety-critical is in person; reviews, coaching and conversations can be by video.

Task	In person	Telehealth	Notes
First home assessment	Yes	No	Therapist needs to see the real rooms
Goal and progress check-in	Either	Yes	Usually shorter than a home visit
Reviewing a home exercise program	Either	Yes	Set the camera so the physio can see your whole body
Hands-on physio treatment	Yes	No	Needs touch
New transfer technique (bed, car, toilet)	Yes	No	Fall risk; therapist must be within reach
Equipment not working properly	Either	Often	Show it on camera; visit if it needs adjusting
Carer coaching	Either	Yes	Have the carer on the call
After a fall or hospital discharge	Yes	Phone first	Therapist then decides on a visit

How do I set up a good telehealth session?

A good session needs a charged device, a clear space, good light and, ideally, someone to hold the camera.

Device. A smartphone is fine; a tablet or laptop gives a wider picture when the physio wants to see you walk. The provider will tell you which video app they use; you should not need to pay for anything.

Space. Pick the room where the task actually happens: the kitchen for meal preparation, the hallway for walking. Move anything that could trip you. Face the window so the light is on you, not behind you.

A helper. A family member or support worker can hold the phone, tilt it to show your feet, and try the strategy alongside you. If a support worker is normally with you, book the session for then; SESI’s personal care support workers can sit in if you ask.

What the therapist needs to see. Ask beforehand where to put the phone. For exercises it usually needs to be about two metres away and low enough to show your whole body; for equipment, closer. If you cannot hear, cannot see, or are tired, say so.

What about consent, privacy and recording?

You must agree to telehealth before it starts, you can withdraw that agreement, and nobody should record a session without asking first.

Consent. Your provider should explain what telehealth is good for, what it is not, and that you can ask for in-person sessions instead, then note your agreement. If you have a guardian or nominee, they are part of that conversation. Some providers put a telehealth clause in the service agreement. If yours does not mention it, ask. You can change your mind at any time without giving a reason; a provider cannot insist on video to save their own travel.

Privacy. Your therapist should be somewhere private, using a platform set up for health appointments. On your side, you choose what the camera shows.

Recording. A session should not be recorded without your clear agreement. Sometimes a short clip is useful, such as the physio filming you doing an exercise correctly. The therapist should ask first, tell you where it will be stored and who can see it, and give you a copy if you want one. For a general explanation of what telehealth is, see the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing telehealth page. It is written for Medicare, but the basics are the same.

SESI Care Services is a registered NDIS provider delivering occupational therapy and physiotherapy in homes across Victoria, with video check-ins between visits where that suits you.

Frequently asked questions

Talk to SESI

Would you like an OT or physio who comes to your home anywhere in Victoria and keeps in touch by video between visits? Tell us what is going on and we will call you back.

Tell us what’s going on: sesi.com.au/referral · Call: 1800 017 374

This guide is general information based on the NDIS pricing schedule effective 1 July 2026, NDIA guidance on service agreements and the NDIS Code of Conduct current at September 2026. It is not advice about your individual plan. For help with your own plan, speak with your support coordinator or contact the NDIA on 1800 800 110.