Initial Consultation
It’s important that we provide a high quality and sustainable service. This means that our therapeutic services involve face-to-face and non-face-to-face activities.
Generally initial consultation appointments are typically billed at 90-minutes, but they may be less or more. This depends on the additional service requirements and relevant behind the scenes administrative tasks required to ensure quality service moving forward.
Ongoing Speech Pathology Fees & Therapy Blocks
For ongoing speech pathology intervention, sessions typically run for 50-minutes with 10-minutes allowed for documentation and service provision; therefore, we indicate 60-minutes, unless otherwise agreed upon in writing. Occasionally we might decide on shorter or longer sessions. Therapists at Little Minds Grow are always open to discussing the length of sessions, so that we can best help your child achieve their goals.
Therapy sessions are booked in school termly blocks (e.g. 10 weeks at a time). This means that at the end of each school term, your child’s appointment length, day, and time are all considered and discussed with you as our team completes scheduling for the new school term ahead. If your child is not yet in school, the same approach applies as we do work in therapy blocks.
School holiday appointments are determined by families indicating their preferences. For example, families may opt for a break from appointments over the holiday period, or may enquire about additional sessions where possible.
Travel Fees
If you need us to come to you, travel fees are charged to account for our clinician’s time travelling to and from your preferred location. Where possible, Little Minds Grow admin staff will endeavour to group therapy appointments by location to allow for travel fees to be split between clients, making travel costs more affordable, and this also reduces a clinician’s time spent travelling. Please note, travel fees are subject to change when clients move days, or times, or moves on from accessing services at LMG altogether.
We charge for travel fees at the NDIS rate of $193.99 divided by 60, to determine the exact time per minute it takes to get to and from the location. However, our fees are capped at 30 minutes in each direction, originating from Pacific Pines, Queensland. Ethically, travel fees are the same for NDIS participants and privately paying clients.
There are no travel fees to access our services from our Upper Coomera clinic space.
Speech Pathology Fees, Funding & Rebates
Seeking and receiving ongoing therapeutic services can quickly become expensive. In this section, we hope to support you in exploring your possible eligibility for any of the schemes listed below.
NDIS Speech Pathology Fees
The NDIS can provide funding support for eligible individuals with developmental delays or diagnosed disabilities. The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) is a government organisation that implements and manages the NDIS. Instead of providing generalised cover, NDIS plans are reviewed annually for specific goals and funding unique to the individual.
There are three options to manage your NDIS funding, or you can also choose a combination of the three options. Therapists at Little Minds Grow provide services to NDIS participants that are:
NDIS Plan-managed
While you still have full control of your funds, this funding method is where the NDIA provides additional funding into your plan which pays for a Plan Manager to work for you and support you to pay your providers for you and help keep you on track of your funds and financial reporting.
NDIS Self-Managed
This is where the NDIA provides you with funding so you can access supports and providers that will best help you peruse yours or your child’s goals. You have the flexibility to oversee the funds and make payments to providers.
Note: We cannot currently provide services to participants who are NDIA managed, or ‘agency managed’. This is when the NDIA pays your providers on your behalf, or providers can claim payment electronically from your funding.
Please phone 0493 787 628 if you are looking to explore what the NDIS has to offer. A Little Minds Grow Therapist will have a chat with you. Or you can visit the following link – NDIS.
Medicare
Under Medicare in Australia, there are a number of programs under which eligible persons can receive a rebate for speech pathology services. All clinicians at Little Minds Grow are registered Medicare providers and support the following:
Chronic Disease Management (CDM) Program
This was previously called the Enhanced Primary Care plan. The CDM program is one of a number of programs that provide access for eligible clients to claim a Medicare rebate for 5 sessions speech pathology (or other qualified allied health professional) services per calendar year. Your child’s GP determines their eligibility for the program. Should you have any queries about this program, we encourage you to get advice from Medicare by emailing [email protected] or phoning 132 150. You may also speak with a Little Minds Grow clinician for further information.
Follow up Allied Health Services for People of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent
Similar to the CDM program above, a person who is of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent may be referred by their GP, after identifying the need for follow up allied health services, such as speech pathology. The individual can access up to 5 allied health sessions per calendar year under the Medicare follow-up program. In some circumstances, up to 10 allied health sessions can be available per calendar year under Medicare.
Helping Children with Autism (HCWA) Program
The HCWA program was created for the early diagnosis and treatment of autistic children. A child can be referred for speech pathology or other allied health services by a consultant paediatrician or psychiatrist. Once referred, the child can access a number of assessment and treatment services. Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome, and 22q deletion syndrome are included in the expanded list of eligible conditions.
Disclaimer: The information listed above is purely informational and should always be interpreted with caution, since Medicare can change or update their programs or eligibility requirements at any stage. Therefore, we encourage you to thoroughly explore Medicare’s website directly, for the most up to date and factual information.
Private Health
If you have private health insurance, then you can check what kinds of extra cover options you have in your insurance. You may be eligible to claim a rebate for a number of speech pathology fees or allied health specific sessions.
Payment options and rebates vary depending on your type of health fund, so be sure to enquire with your private health fund. When you present your first receipt, and they can help organise a rebate to your chosen bank account.
Privately Paid
Because many people are ineligible for the services above, many clients choose to access speech pathology paying privately out of pocket.
NDIS
Medicare
Private Health
Let's Grow Together!
Wondering about our speech therapy fees? Or when we can start working with your child? We are always open to talk about your queries and how we can help you and your child.