NDIS, aged care and other funding explained
Understand common funding terms, prepare questions and confirm current rules with the responsible official body before comparing providers.
Start with the funding arrangement
Identify the program, plan, insurance policy, claim or private-payment arrangement that applies. Then check who controls approval, whether a referral or assessment is required, the dates covered and any provider eligibility rules. A provider can explain its services and billing process, but only the responsible funding body can make a binding eligibility or payment decision.
Compare the complete cost
Ask for service rates and every possible additional charge, including travel, reports, cancellations, administration, equipment and personal contributions. Confirm whether the provider bills the funder directly or expects payment before a claim. A rebate or capped benefit may leave a gap, while an available budget does not automatically make every proposed service eligible.
Keep useful records
Have the current plan or approval, relevant assessment or referral, written quote, service agreement and recent budget or claim information ready. Keep invoices, payment decisions and important provider answers together. Good records make it easier to monitor spending, correct errors and explain changed circumstances before support or funding is interrupted.
Use directory information carefully
A directory profile or public-register record can support a provider search, but it does not prove current capacity, funding acceptance or personal suitability. Confirm the legal entity, registration where required, service area, worker qualifications, safeguards and start date directly. Use each topic below to prepare questions, then compare provider profiles or browse support by location.
NDIS Plans
Aged Care
Veterans
Other Funding
- Private Fee for Service
- iCare & Workers Compensation
- Private Health Insurance
- Medicare Care Plans
- State Funded Programs
Help With Funding
How NDIS funding is managed
NDIS funding can be managed by the NDIA, by a plan manager, or by you. Which applies is recorded in your plan and can differ between parts of it. It affects who pays providers, how you track your budget and which providers you can use.
- NDIA-managed. Providers claim directly from the NDIA. Least paperwork for you, but you are generally limited to registered providers.
- Plan-managed. A plan manager pays invoices and keeps your budget statements. A good balance of choice and admin. What a plan manager does
- Self-managed. You pay providers, keep records and claim. The most choice and the most responsibility. How to decide
How budgets are grouped
NDIS budgets have traditionally been grouped into Core supports for everyday help, Capacity Building supports for skills and independence, and Capital supports for equipment, modifications and housing. The NDIA has been changing how budgets are described in some plans, so check what your own plan says.
Aged care funding
Aged care funding works differently. Support at Home began in November 2025 and replaced the Home Care Packages Program and the Short-term Restorative Care Programme, and the Commonwealth Home Support Program has its own fee arrangements. What you contribute depends on the program, the provider and your circumstances.
Keeping track
Whatever the funding, records matter: your plan, service agreements, invoices, statements and reports. A simple folder with a few sections is enough, and it makes plan reviews and queried claims much easier.
Frequently asked questions
Which funding management type is best?
It depends on how much time you have for paperwork, how important choice of provider is, and how much risk of an error you are comfortable carrying. Many people who want flexibility without the admin choose a plan manager.
Can I change how my funding is managed?
Which management type applies is recorded in your plan. Ask your planner, plan manager or support coordinator what the current process is for changing it in your case.
Can the same support be funded by the NDIS and aged care?
No. The two systems are not designed to pay for the same support. A support coordinator, the NDIA or My Aged Care can explain which system is responsible for a particular support.
Where do I find current price limits?
On the NDIA’s pricing arrangements page, which publishes the pricing schedules. The maximum prices apply to NDIA-managed and plan-managed participants.
Helpful reading
- NDIS jargon explained: the terms you will hear and what they mean: Plans, supports, coordinators, managers, registered providers: a plain-language glossary of the words that come up most often.
- NDIS or My Aged Care: which system supports you?: Two government systems support people with disability and older people. Here is how to think about which one applies and what to do if you are not sure.
- Keeping records of your NDIS supports: a simple system: Good records make plan reviews, claim queries and changes of provider far easier. Here is a light-touch way to keep them.