Client FAQ

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Appointments may take place:

• At home
• At school
• In the community
• Telehealth: phone and/or video calls.

All sessions are tailored to you or your child’s goals and everyday environments.

Billable non-face-to-face time includes the work I do behind the scenes to support you or your child’s progress.

This may include:

• Phone calls, texts, and emails
• Writing goals and therapy plans
• Progress notes and reports
• Developing therapy resources
• Liaising with caregivers, teachers, and other professionals
• Planning and preparing for sessions

This time is billed at the same hourly rate as therapy sessions.

Travel includes the time spent driving to and from your or your child’s appointment.

• Travel time (up to 30 minutes each way) is billed at the hourly rate 
• Mileage is charged at $0.99 per kilometre 

Where possible, travel costs are shared between clients seen on the same trip. Appointments are also scheduled geographically to help reduce overall travel time and kilometres for each client.

For private clients and self-managed NDIS participants, 

• Therapy: $247.44 per hour
• Non face-to-face: $247.44 per hour
• Travel time: $247.44 per hour (pro rata - you are only billed for the actual time spent driving to and from your location, divided between the clients I saw in the same out-and-return trip).
• Mileage: $0.99 per km (pro rata, as above). 

Travel is calculated in line with the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits, which guide how travel time and kilometres are shared when multiple clients are seen on the same trip.

Example: How travel is shared (out-and-return trip)

Office → Client 1: 16 mins, 8.3 km
Client 1 → Client 2: 14 mins, 7.5 km
Client 2 → Office: 20 mins, 10.9 km

Total travel time: 50 minutes
Total distance: 26.7 km

If two clients are seen on the same out-and-return trip:

• Travel time is divided across both the outward and return journey
  → 50 minutes ÷ 4 = 12.5 minutes per client, each way 
• Mileage is shared between the clients
  → 26.7 km ÷ 2 = 13.35 km per client 

By grouping appointments and sharing travel, I aim to reduce costs for each client while still being able to provide mobile services in your home, school, or community

Please provide at least two clear business days’ notice if you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment.

Example:
To cancel a 9am Monday appointment, notice is required by 9am the previous Thursday.

Appointments cancelled within the notice period may be charged at the full appointment rate.

You will receive a reminder email three days prior to your appointment. A link to cancel or reschedule is included in both your appointment confirmation and reminder emails.

An SMS reminder is also sent one hour prior to your appointment.

Invoices may include several components depending on the service provided:

• Item code
  For NDIS participants, this is the code corresponding to your service (e.g. Occupational Therapy). 
• Description
  A summary of the service provided (e.g. “Occupational Therapy school visit”), including the date, time, and funding type. 
• Unit price
  The hourly rate for therapy or travel. 
• Quantity
  The amount of the service provided (e.g. 1.0 for a one-hour appointment). 
• Unit
  The type of service being billed (e.g. hour or kilometre). 
• Amount
  The total cost for that line item. 
• Provider travel
  Time spent travelling to and from the appointment. 
• Mileage (non-labour costs)
  Kilometres travelled. 
• Non face-to-face activities
  Time spent completing tasks such as progress notes, planning, and communication.

Absolutely.  I want you to feel confident and comfortable with your services.

If you have any questions, please feel welcome to reach out: Hayley@whalesharktherapy.com.au

 The full Terms of Service and Privacy Policy are provided as part of the onboarding process.

For your convenience, a link to these is also included in your appointment confirmation emails.

Invoices are issued after services are provided and are payable via bank transfer. Payment details are included on your invoice. The link to your invoice will also function as a link to a receipt once payment has been made. 

For self-managed NDIS participants
You are responsible for paying invoices and then claiming reimbursement through the NDIS portal.

For privately funded clients
The receipt can be submitted to your private health insurer for potential reimbursement. Please note that rebates depend on your individual insurer and level of cover.