Fee schedule
WorkCover Queensland exercise physiology fees 2026-27
From 1 July 2026 WorkCover Queensland pays exercise physiologists $231 per hour for an initial work-specific functional exercise consultation (item 300186). The subsequent consultation (300187) changed from an hourly rate to a $173 flat fee for a minimum 45 minute session. These are maximum fees under the Allied Health Services Table of Costs, GST excluded.
Last checked 25 Sep 2026 against the sources listed at the end of this page.
- Payer
- WorkCover Queensland
- Effective from
- 1 Jul 2026
- Official schedule
- Source document
What changed this year
- The subsequent work specific functional exercise consultation (300187) changed structure, not just price. It was $223 per hour with no stated minimum; it is now a $173 flat fee for a minimum 45 minute session, so a 45 minute visit now pays less than the old hourly rate would have delivered for the same time.
- The initial consultation (300186) kept its per-hour, maximum-1-hour structure and rose from $223 to $231, about 3.6 per cent.
- Group exercise sessions (300401) rose from $56 to $58 per person per hour, and the group size limit stayed at 8 participants.
- Gym and pool entry fees (300228) still carry no set dollar figure in the table. WorkCover Queensland reimburses the actual entry cost up to a 3 month membership, with insurer justification required beyond that.
All 14 exercise physiology items
| Item | Description | Fee | Previous |
|---|---|---|---|
| 300186 | Initial consultation, work specific functional exercise program. One-on-one, maximum 1 hour, charged once per episode. Per hour | $231.00 | $223.00 |
| 300187 | Subsequent consultation, work specific functional exercise program. Monitoring and progression, minimum 45 minutes. Flat rate (was per hour) | $173.00 | $223.00 |
| 300401 | Group exercise sessions, common program to up to 8 workers, supervised by an exercise physiologist. Prior approval needed. Per person per hour | $58.00 | $56.00 |
| 300159 | Activities of daily living assessment and report, standardised tests of mobility and function. Per hour | $231.00 | $223.00 |
| 300228 | Gym or pool entry fee, up to a 3 month membership, only where the facility is not owned by the provider or employer. Prior approval needed | Reasonable cost, up to 3 months | |
| 300079 | Communication with the insurer, 3 to 10 minutes. Flat rate | $38.50 | $37.00 |
| 300100 | Communication with the insurer, over 10 minutes. Flat rate | $77.00 | $75.00 |
| 300082 | Case conference involving the insurer and treating or other parties. Per hour | $231.00 | $223.00 |
| 300086 | Progress report, a brief summary of the worker's recovery and return to work. Flat rate | $77.00 | $75.00 |
| 300088 | Standard report covering treatment plan, status and barriers. Flat rate | $196.00 | $189.00 |
| 300090 | Comprehensive report for extensive insurer questions. Per hour, maximum 3 to 5 hours billable | $231.00 | $223.00 |
| 300092 | Travel for treatment away from your normal practice. Per hour, prior approval needed over 1 hour | $171.00 | $165.00 |
| 300093 | Copies of patient records relating to the claim. Flat fee plus $1 per page | $32.00 | $31.00 |
| 300094 | Incidental expenses the worker takes home (not consumables used in the consultation). Up to $85 total per claim without prior approval | $85.00 | $85.00 |
The subsequent consultation fee changed shape, not just price
WorkCover Queensland's exercise physiology sheet in the Allied Health Services Table of Costs moved to a new schedule effective 1 July 2026. The most significant change is not the dollar figures themselves but how one of them is charged. The subsequent work specific functional exercise consultation, item 300187, used to be billed per hour at $223. It is now a flat fee of $173 for a minimum 45 minute session. If you were billing a full hour previously, the new flat fee pays less for the same time; if you were running shorter sessions, it may pay more, since there is no longer an hourly proration below 45 minutes.
The initial consultation (300186) kept its existing structure: one-on-one, maximum one hour, and only chargeable once to build the worker's exercise program. It rose from $223 to $231 per hour.
What insurers will and will not pay for
Group exercise sessions (300401) need prior approval before you run them and are capped at 8 participants, all under the direct and continuous supervision of the exercise physiologist. The per-participant fee rose from $56 to $58.
Gym and pool entry fees (item 300228) remain the odd one out on this table: there is no set dollar figure. WorkCover Queensland reimburses the worker's actual entry cost, up to a three month membership, and only where the facility is not owned or operated by the provider or their employer. Ask for more than three months and the insurer can request justification or a second opinion, so submit a Provider Management Plan with expected functional gains and a transition to self-management before treatment starts.
Where clinics lose money on this table
The most common error is leaving the old hourly rate loaded against item 300187 after this year's change to a flat fee, which either underbills or overbills depending on session length. The second is claiming an initial and subsequent consultation for the same worker on the same day, which is not permitted regardless of how the sessions were split.
Incidental expenses (300094), shared across most allied health disciplines on this table, are capped at $85 per claim without prior approval, and that figure did not move this year. Communication and case conference fees only apply to time that directly involves the insurer, and providers are expected to keep a written record of date, time and duration on file.
Claiming notes
- This is a maximum fee schedule, not a set price. WorkCover Queensland pays up to the listed amount for each item.
- The initial consultation (300186) can only be charged once, to build the worker's exercise program. Ongoing sessions use the subsequent consultation code (300187), which now needs prior approval and runs a minimum of 45 minutes.
- You cannot bill more than one initial consultation, or more than one subsequent consultation, for the same worker on the same day.
- Group exercise sessions (300401) need prior insurer approval before you run them, and the group can have up to 8 people, supervised throughout by the exercise physiologist.
- Gym and pool entry fees (300228) are not payable if the facility is owned or operated by the provider or their employer, or where the provider already has a contractual arrangement to use it.
- A Provider Management Plan (PMP) is expected before gym or pool treatment starts, covering expected functional gains and a transition plan back to self-management.
- Communication and case conference items only count time that involves the insurer, and providers must keep a written record of date, time and duration that the insurer can request at any time.
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.
- Build a CSV with Item code, Name, Price (ex. tax), Taxable and Item type. Use the WorkCover item number (for example 300186) in Item code and a name starting with WorkCover QLD, for example "WorkCover QLD 300186 Initial WSFE consultation", so reception finds the right one fast.
- Because 300187 changed from a per-hour to a flat-rate item this year, update its existing Cliniko entry rather than leaving the old hourly description in place, or staff will keep charging the previous structure.
- Leave the price blank or set it to $0 for gym and pool entry (300228) and add the actual reimbursed cost on the invoice each time, since the table sets no fixed fee for it.
- Upload the CSV, match the columns, then import. Update prices whenever WorkCover Queensland republishes the Table of Costs by exporting existing billable items, editing only the price column, and re-importing, keeping the original export as a backup since Cliniko does not offer an undo.
Sources
- From 1 July 2026 WorkCover Queensland pays $231.00 per hour for exercise physiology item 300186 (Initial Consultation, Work Specific Functional Exercise Program), maximum one hour, excluding GST. WorkCover Queensland, checked 25 Sep 2026.
- From 1 July 2026 the subsequent work specific functional exercise consultation (item 300187) is a $173.00 flat rate for a minimum 45 minute session, prior approval required. WorkCover Queensland, checked 25 Sep 2026.
- Under the schedule effective 1 August 2025, item 300186 was $223.00 per hour and item 300187 was also $223.00 per hour with no stated minimum session length. WorkCover Queensland, checked 25 Sep 2026.
- Group exercise sessions (item 300401) are limited to a maximum of 8 participants, conducted and supervised throughout by the exercise physiologist, and require prior insurer approval. WorkCover Queensland, checked 25 Sep 2026.
- Gym and pool entry fees (item 300228) are reimbursed at cost up to a maximum three month membership and are not paid where the facility is owned or operated by the provider or their employer. WorkCover Queensland, 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, and warns there is no undo when updating prices in bulk. Cliniko, checked 25 Sep 2026.