Fee schedule
ReturnToWorkSA physiotherapy fees 2026-27
From 1 July 2026 ReturnToWorkSA's gazetted fee schedule pays physiotherapists $119.20 for an initial consultation (PT108) and $99.30 for a subsequent one (PT210), both plus GST. These are South Australian workers compensation maximum fees; most items also have a matching telehealth code, and invoices are due within four weeks of the service.
Last checked 25 Sep 2026 against the sources listed at the end of this page.
- Payer
- ReturnToWorkSA
- Effective from
- 1 Jul 2026
- Official schedule
- Source document
What changed this year
- This is the fee schedule effective 1 July 2026, gazetted in the South Australian Government Gazette. ReturnToWorkSA republishes its physiotherapy schedule as a dated PDF and matching XLSX data file each cycle, so the item numbers and structure below apply from that date.
- Nearly every consultation type has a matching telehealth code at the identical fee: PTTE9 pays the same $119.20 as PT108, and PTTE0 the same $99.30 as PT210. The exception is the restricted consultation (PTTE4), which needs prior approval specifically for interpreter or education purposes when delivered by telehealth.
- Individual aquatic and exercise sessions (PT415, PT455) are capped at 4 sessions each at the $83.50 rate; beyond that, ongoing sessions fall back to a standard consultation code or need a fresh management plan.
All 21 physiotherapy items
| Item | Description | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| PT108 | Initial consultation. History, assessment, planning, education and treatment per the Clinical Framework | $119.20 |
| PT210 | Subsequent consultation. Re-assessment, planning, education and treatment | $99.30 |
| PT212 | Long subsequent consultation, for complex presentations needing extra time (interpreter, extensive burns, major trauma, post-operative) | $119.30 |
| PT214 | Restricted consultation. Extra time up to 1 hour for a complex injury, by request only, up to 6 sessions per application. Per hour, max 1 hour | $238.20 |
| PT216 | Workplace visit, reviewing worker and workplace demands. Per hour, max 1 hour | $238.20 |
| PT300 | Fabrication, fitting or adjustment of a splint. Per hour | $238.20 |
| PT390 | Materials used to construct or modify a splint | Reasonable cost |
| PT415 | Individual aquatic session, constantly supervised. Maximum 4 sessions | $83.50 |
| PT420 | Group aquatic session, up to 6 participants, constantly supervised. Per worker | $37.40 |
| PT455 | Individual exercise session, constantly supervised. Maximum 4 sessions | $83.50 |
| PT460 | Group exercise session, up to 6 participants, constantly supervised. Per worker | $37.40 |
| PT429 | Entry fee to an aquatic or exercise facility, reimbursed on the worker's behalf. Not billable where the physiotherapist is employed by the facility | Reasonable cost |
| PTMP | Physiotherapy management plan, can be submitted every 10 treatments or on request | $59.70 |
| PT780 | Independent clinical assessment and report, by a physiotherapist other than the treating one. Per hour, max 4 hours | $238.20 |
| PT760 | Activities of daily living assessment and report. Per hour, max 5 hours | $238.20 |
| PT762 | Activities of daily living implementation and review. Per hour, max 2 hours | $238.20 |
| PT552 | Telephone calls with the claims manager, employer, worker's representative or referring practitioner | $33.10 |
| PTTE9 | Telehealth initial consultation | $119.20 |
| PTTE0 | Telehealth subsequent consultation | $99.30 |
| PTTE2 | Telehealth long subsequent consultation | $119.30 |
| PTTE4 | Telehealth restricted consultation, for interpreter or education purposes, prior approval required. Per hour, max 1 hour | $238.20 |
One schedule, matched telehealth codes
ReturnToWorkSA's physiotherapy fee schedule, effective 1 July 2026, pays $119.20 for an initial consultation (PT108) and $99.30 for a subsequent one (PT210). What sets this schedule apart from SIRA NSW and WorkCover Queensland is how consistently it mirrors each in-person item with a telehealth equivalent at the same price: PTTE9, PTTE0 and PTTE2 pay identically to PT108, PT210 and PT212. The one telehealth item that behaves differently is the restricted consultation (PTTE4), which needs prior approval and is meant specifically for cases needing an interpreter or education, rather than being a general telehealth version of PT214.
Aquatic and exercise sessions sit on their own scale, individual sessions at $83.50 capped at 4, group sessions at $37.40 per worker capped at 6 participants, reflecting a structure closer to hands-on rehabilitation programs than standard consultations.
GST and invoicing work differently here than in NSW or Queensland
Every fee on this schedule is exclusive of GST, and where GST applies the insurer adds it on top of the gazetted fee rather than treating physiotherapy as a GST-free service. That is the opposite default to SIRA NSW and WorkCover Queensland, where physiotherapy treatment itself is GST free and only ancillary items like reports and travel attract GST. Check your Cliniko GST settings are configured for South Australian claims specifically if you also treat NSW or Queensland workers.
Invoicing timeframes are tighter too. ReturnToWorkSA expects invoices within four weeks of the service, and generally will not pay invoices received more than six months after the service date without exceptional circumstances, a materially shorter window than SIRA's 30 day submission rule allows for in practice.
Who can provide services, and what falls outside the schedule
ReturnToWorkSA only pays providers who are registered as a physiotherapist with AHPRA and registered by ReturnToWorkSA itself, which happens automatically when your first invoice is received. Services are expected to follow the Clinical Framework for the Delivery of Health Services: measuring and demonstrating effectiveness, taking a biopsychosocial approach, empowering the worker, focusing on function and return to work, and basing management on the best available evidence.
A defined list of exclusions sits alongside the fee table: no non-attendance or cancellation fees, no invoicing in advance of the service, no charge for written communication between a worker's treating practitioners, nothing aimed only at general fitness or wellbeing, no more than one treatment session per day, and no dry needling or acupuncture needle costs. Services outside the schedule can still be approved case by case where there is no comparable listed item and the claims manager agrees it is reasonably required for the work injury.
Claiming notes
- All amounts in this schedule are exclusive of GST. Where GST applies, the insurer pays the GST-exclusive fee plus the GST amount on top, so physiotherapy treatment under ReturnToWorkSA is not GST free the way it is under SIRA NSW and WorkCover Queensland.
- This fee schedule is published in the South Australian Government Gazette; gazetted fees are the maximum chargeable, excluding GST.
- To bill ReturnToWorkSA, a physiotherapist must be registered as a physiotherapist with AHPRA and registered by ReturnToWorkSA, which registers a provider automatically on receipt of their first invoice.
- Invoices must be submitted within four weeks of the service. Invoices received more than six months after the date of service may not be paid unless exceptional circumstances apply, a tighter window than SIRA NSW's 30 day rule or WorkCover Queensland's practice.
- A restricted consultation (PT214) can only be requested by the treating physiotherapist where a prior consultation has already been delivered, or by a titled or specialist physiotherapist in pain, neurology, pelvic health or continence, or a hand therapist, regardless of prior consultations. It needs prior approval and is capped at 6 sessions per application.
- ReturnToWorkSA will not pay for non-attendance or cancellation fees, services invoiced in advance, written communication between a worker's treating practitioners, services aimed only at general fitness or wellbeing, more than one treatment on the same day, or needles used for dry needling or acupuncture.
- A physiotherapy management plan (PTMP) is not compulsory for every claim but is expected at the claims manager's request, and the treating physiotherapist can initiate one every 10 treatments to support a review.
Load these fees into your practice software
- Cliniko supports bulk import of billable items under Settings, then Data & docs, then Data imports, choosing Billable items.
- Add a GST tax type first if you have not already, and set it on the ReturnToWorkSA physiotherapy items, since these fees are GST exclusive with GST added on top rather than GST free.
- Build a CSV with Item code, Name, Price (ex. tax), Taxable and Item type. Name each item with RTWSA and the code, for example "RTWSA PT108 Initial consultation", so reception can tell it apart from SIRA or WorkCover items in a multi-state practice.
- PT390 (splint materials) and PT429 (facility entry fee) have no fixed price, they reimburse reasonable cost. Load them at $0 as placeholders and add the actual cost to each invoice.
- ReturnToWorkSA also publishes an XLSX data file alongside the PDF fee schedule, which is a faster source to re-import than retyping the PDF table each July. Export your existing billable items first as a backup, since Cliniko's bulk price update has no undo.
Sources
- From 1 July 2026 ReturnToWorkSA pays $119.20 for PT108 (Initial Consultation) and $99.30 for PT210 (Subsequent Consultation), both exclusive of GST. ReturnToWorkSA, checked 25 Sep 2026.
- All amounts in the ReturnToWorkSA physiotherapy fee schedule are exclusive of GST; where GST applies, the insurer pays the GST-exclusive fee plus the applicable GST amount. ReturnToWorkSA, checked 25 Sep 2026.
- Invoices are to be submitted within four weeks of service, and invoices received more than six months after the date of service may not be paid unless exceptional circumstances exist. ReturnToWorkSA, checked 25 Sep 2026.
- The insurer will only pay for services by a physiotherapist who is registered by ReturnToWorkSA and registered as a physiotherapist with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. ReturnToWorkSA, checked 25 Sep 2026.
- A restricted consultation (PT214) can only be requested by the treating physiotherapist where a prior consultation has been delivered, or by a titled or specialist physiotherapist in pain, neurology, pelvic health/continence, or a hand therapist regardless of prior consultations, and needs insurer pre-approval. ReturnToWorkSA, checked 25 Sep 2026.
- Cliniko's data import tool can create billable items from a CSV with the fields Item code, Name, Price (ex. tax), Taxable and Item type. Cliniko, checked 25 Sep 2026.