Physiotherapy Under Support at Home: Why It's a Core Inclusion

Physiotherapy is one of the services most people don’t realise is already included in their Support at Home package. It isn’t an add-on you need to apply for separately — it sits inside the program’s Clinical Supports category, funded the same way nursing care is. This article covers where physiotherapy fits, how the funding works, and what accessing it actually looks like.

Where Physiotherapy Sits in the Funding Structure

Support at Home organises services into three participant contribution categories: Clinical Supports, Independence, and Everyday Living. Physiotherapy sits under Clinical Supports, alongside nursing and (from 1 October 2026) personal care. According to the Department of Health’s official Support at Home service list, Clinical Supports also covers occupational therapy, speech pathology, podiatry, dietetics, exercise physiology, psychology, social work, counselling, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health roles — all grouped together as “allied health and other therapeutic services.”

Clinical Supports is fully government-funded, meaning there’s no client co-contribution for physiotherapy sessions, unlike Independence and Everyday Living services, which carry means-tested co-contribution rates.

This puts physiotherapy in the same funding tier as nursing care, reflecting its role in keeping people safe and independent at home rather than treating it as an optional extra.

Why It’s Treated as a Core Service, Not an Extra

Support at Home is built around reablement: helping people maintain or regain function, rather than just managing decline. Physiotherapy is central to that goal. Falls prevention, post-hospital recovery, strength maintenance, and mobility support all sit squarely within what the program is designed to fund.

That’s also why physiotherapy plays a defined role in the Restorative Care Pathway, the short-term stream within Support at Home for people recovering from a hospital stay or sudden health setback. It provides intensive, goal-directed allied health support for up to 16 weeks, with physiotherapy typically central to the plan given its focus on regaining mobility and function.

How the Quarterly Budget Affects Access

Each Support at Home client receives a budget released in quarterly instalments, based on their assessed funding level. Physiotherapy is drawn from this budget as a Clinical Supports item. Up to $1,000 or 10% of a quarter’s unspent budget (whichever is lower) can carry over to the next quarter; anything above that returns to the government.

In practice, this means physiotherapy sessions need to be planned across the quarter rather than treated as an unlimited, on-demand service — worth keeping in mind when setting up an ongoing treatment plan with a provider.

Choosing Who Delivers It

Physiotherapy under Support at Home is typically delivered through a brokerage arrangement: your registered Support at Home provider holds the funding relationship, and physiotherapy is delivered by a subcontracted allied health business, referred to as an associated provider under the Aged Care Act 2024.

If you self-manage your package, you can choose your own physiotherapy provider directly, including a mobile provider like Bayside Mobile Physio. If your package is provider-managed, your provider coordinates this for you, though you generally still have the right to request a specific provider rather than accept whoever they’ve already engaged in-house.

Getting Started

Physiotherapy under Support at Home generally doesn’t require a formal referral. If you’re newly assessed and unsure how much of your budget applies to allied health, your Support at Home provider or My Aged Care can confirm your funding level and current quarterly balance.

If cost is a factor while you’re waiting on an assessment or between quarterly budgets, private physiotherapy remains available as an alternative, without changing what’s funded under your package once it’s active.

How Bayside Mobile Physio Fits In

Bayside Mobile Physio provides in-home physiotherapy across Greater Sydney for Support at Home clients, including those on the Restorative Care Pathway. We work directly with self-managed clients and coordinate with approved providers and care managers for provider-managed packages. Sessions cover falls prevention, post-surgical and post-hospital rehabilitation, strength and mobility maintenance, and chronic condition management, all delivered at home.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a referral for physiotherapy under Support at Home?
Generally no. Physiotherapy is accessible directly through your Clinical Supports budget without a formal referral in most cases.

Does physiotherapy cost anything under Support at Home?
No. It sits under Clinical Supports, which is fully government-funded with no client co-contribution.

Can I choose my own physiotherapist if my package is provider-managed?
In most cases yes. Even where your provider coordinates services, you generally retain the right to request a specific allied health provider rather than accept whoever they’ve already engaged.

Get in Touch

If you’d like help understanding how physiotherapy fits into your Support at Home funding, or want to arrange a home visit, get in touch.

Bayside Mobile Physio
Phone: 0468 079 075
Email: [email protected]
Web: baysidemobilephysio.com.au

This article is general information only and doesn’t take the place of advice from My Aged Care or your registered provider. Program rules can change — please confirm current details before making decisions about your care.