NDIS Differentiated Pricing: What Registered vs Unregistered Providers Need to Know
NDIS differentiated pricing could pay unregistered providers less for certain supports. What's proposed, the timeline, and how to decide whether to register.
What NDIS differentiated pricing actually means
Confirmed vs still-being-decided: where this sits
Why the government is proposing a price split
Which supports would likely be affected
The margin maths: what a price gap does to your business
Registration cost vs the price gap: the real decision
How this stacks with mandatory registration expansion
Cash flow: the prove-and-pay overlap
What to do now
Frequently asked questions
Is NDIS differentiated pricing in force now?
No. As at July 2026 there is one PAPL price limit per support item that applies to registered and unregistered providers alike. Differentiated pricing is a consultation proposal flagged for the second half of 2026, with no start date set. Do not change your pricing on the assumption a split rate exists — it does not yet.
Will unregistered providers be paid less than registered providers?
That is the direction of the proposal for 'certain supports' — unregistered providers of those supports may face a lower price limit than registered providers for the same work. The exact supports affected and the size of any gap have not been decided and are subject to consultation. Confirm the detail against the consultation paper on health.gov.au/securingtheNDIS when it is published.
Which NDIS supports would differentiated pricing apply to?
The likely targets are higher-risk supports — personal care, assistance with daily living, and supports in closed settings — the same categories the mandatory registration expansion focuses on from 1 July 2027. Lower-risk supports and those already regulated by a professional body are less obvious candidates. The definitive list has not been released, so treat scope as unconfirmed.
Should I register now to avoid a lower price cap?
Work it as a numbers decision: estimate your affected annual billable hours multiplied by the likely per-hour cut, and compare that lost revenue to the all-in cost of getting and staying registered. If you deliver high-risk supports, registration becomes mandatory from 1 July 2027 regardless, so front-loading it may be sensible. If you are a small provider of lower-risk supports, waiting for the confirmed scope is reasonable.
How does this affect SIL providers?
For SIL and digital-platform providers, registration is already required — group 0138 and the SIL Supplementary Module commenced on 1 July 2026, with existing providers audited at their next scheduled audit. Because you are inside the registered system, a registered/unregistered price split has little effect on you. Your focus should be the 2026-27 PAPL SIL pricing restructure and Rosters of Care instead.