Disability-Related Health Supports on the NDIS: What's Funded
What disability-related health supports the NDIS funds — continence, wound, respiratory, nutrition and more — and where the health system takes over.
Disability-related health supports are health supports the NDIS funds when the need is a direct result of your disability and part of your everyday life — things like continence products, wound and pressure care, respiratory support, or help managing swallowing. This guide explains what falls inside this category, where the health system takes over, and how to get these supports into your plan.
What "disability-related health supports" means
The main categories the NDIS funds
What the NDIS funds — and what stays with health
How disability-related health supports get funded
Who delivers disability-related health supports
Where to go next
Frequently asked questions
What counts as a disability-related health support?
These are health-related supports the NDIS funds because the need comes directly from your disability and is part of everyday life, such as continence products, wound and pressure care, respiratory support, swallowing support, diabetes management help, or epilepsy support. They're ongoing daily…
Why does the NDIS fund some health supports but not others?
The test is whether the need results from your disability and is part of daily living. If it does, the NDIS funds it. Acute, episodic or medical treatment, such as hospital care, surgery, GP visits and medicines, stays with the health system, even for the same condition.
Does the NDIS pay for my medications and doctor's appointments?
No. The NDIS doesn't fund medicines, GP or specialist appointments, or hospital treatment, which come through Medicare, the PBS and the health system. It funds the disability support around them, like a worker to help you take medication safely or manage a health-related routine.
How do I get disability-related health supports into my plan?
You'll generally need evidence from a treating health professional showing the support is disability-related and ongoing, plus any relevant plan, for example a continence or mealtime plan. This helps the NDIA fund the right worker time, consumables and clinical oversight.
Who delivers these supports?
It depends on the task and its risk. Lower-risk supports can be delivered by support workers; higher-risk, high-intensity tasks need a worker trained and assessed as competent under registered-nurse oversight, or a nurse directly. A community nurse often sets up the plan and trains the workers.
Related guides
- Finding a Worker or Nurse Trained in Diabetes Management
- How to Find a Support Worker Trained in High-Intensity Supports
- How the NDIS Funds High Intensity Daily Personal Activities (HIDPA)
- Questions to Ask About High-Intensity Support (Training, Safety & Evidence)
- High-Intensity Supports on the NDIS: A Participant & Family Guide
- NDIS Community Nursing: How to Get Nursing Care at Home