Fee schedule
WorkCover QLD speech pathology table of costs 2026-27
From 1 July 2026 WorkCover Queensland pays speech pathologists $231 an hour (GST not included), capped at one hour, for both the initial consultation (item 700051) and subsequent consultations (700053). That is a higher hourly rate than physiotherapy's set consultation fees, and the table has only three item numbers in total.
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 Speech Pathology Services Table of Costs effective 1 July 2026 has only three item numbers, all charged as pro-rata hourly rates rather than the set fees physiotherapy, occupational therapy and osteopathy use for their standard consultations.
- Both the initial (700051) and subsequent (700053) consultations are capped at a maximum of one hour and pay $231 an hour, GST not included, whether the consultation covers speech, swallowing, or both.
- There is no separate item for a workplace communication assessment, a swallowing assessment, or a written report. WorkCover Queensland's Speech Pathology table treats these as part of the hourly consultation fee.
- Registration with Speech Pathology Australia, not AHPRA, is the eligibility requirement, unlike physiotherapy, occupational therapy and osteopathy, which all require AHPRA registration.
All 3 speech pathology items
| Item | Description | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| 700051 | Initial consultation, no prior approval required, maximum 1 hour | $231 per hour, pro-rata |
| 700053 | Subsequent consultation, insurer approval required, maximum 1 hour | $231 per hour, pro-rata |
| 700226 | Independent case review, requested by the insurer only | $288 per hour, pro-rata |
Three items, all charged by the hour
WorkCover Queensland's Speech Pathology Services Table of Costs, effective 1 July 2026, is built entirely around hourly rates rather than the set consultation fees used by physiotherapy, occupational therapy and osteopathy. The initial consultation (700051) and subsequent consultation (700053) both pay $231 an hour, GST not included, capped at a maximum of one hour and charged pro-rata for the time actually spent. A 40 minute consultation, for example, is billed at two thirds of the hourly rate, not the full $231.
A provider cannot bill for multiple initial consultations or multiple subsequent consultations for the same claimant on the same day, and the insurer will not pay for both an initial and a subsequent consultation on the same day unless it approves an exception.
What the hourly fee covers
Speech pathology consultations under this table can include subjective history assessment, objective assessment of communication (speech, writing, reading, signs, symbols and gestures) and of swallowing difficulties, a provisional prognosis, ongoing reassessment, treatment, clinical recording, and communication with the referrer and insurer. All of this sits inside the single hourly item, whether it is the initial consultation or a later session. WorkCover Queensland's table has no separate item for a swallowing assessment, a workplace communication assessment, or a written report, unlike some other allied health payers.
The only other item in the table is an independent case review (700226) at $288 an hour, which examines and reports on a worker's treatment progress at the insurer's request, and is never billed by the treating speech pathologist on their own initiative.
Registration is different from the other allied health tables
Every speech pathology service under this table must be provided by a speech pathologist with current registration as a certified practising member of Speech Pathology Australia. That is a different eligibility path from physiotherapy, occupational therapy and osteopathy, which all require registration with AHPRA. A practice adding a speech pathologist to its books needs to check Speech Pathology Australia membership rather than the AHPRA register before billing WorkCover Queensland.
Claiming notes
- Prior approval: the initial consultation (700051) needs no prior approval. The subsequent consultation (700053) needs insurer approval before billing.
- One consultation per worker per day: a provider cannot bill for multiple initial consultations or multiple subsequent consultations for the same claimant on the same day, and the insurer will not pay for an initial and subsequent consultation on the same day unless it approves an exception.
- Both consultation items are capped at a maximum of one hour, charged pro-rata as a fraction of that hour, so a 30 minute session is billed at half the hourly rate, not the full $231.
- Provider Management Plan: additional treatment beyond the initial consultation needs a Provider Management Plan covering expected functional gains, transition to self-management and treatment timeframes. WorkCover Queensland does not pay a separate fee for completing the PMP.
- Independent case review (700226) is only billed at the insurer's request, examining and reporting on a worker's progress when it falls outside the expected plan, and is never carried out by the treating speech pathologist.
- All fees in the table exclude GST. Check with the Australian Taxation Office or your accountant on whether GST applies to a particular item.
Load these fees into your practice software
- Cliniko's Data import tool (Settings, then Data imports) can create the three billable items in bulk from a CSV rather than adding them one at a time. Choose Billable items and click Import.
- Build a CSV with columns for the item code, a name staff will recognise (for example "WorkCover QLD 700051 Speech path initial consultation"), the hourly price excluding tax, whether tax applies, and the item type (service). Cliniko matches your Tax Amount column to its Taxable field during the import.
- Because both consultation items are hourly rates capped at one hour rather than set fees, import the full $231 hourly rate and adjust the price on each invoice to reflect the actual time billed.
- WorkCover Queensland states its fees exclude GST but does not mark individual speech pathology items as GST-free or taxable, so confirm the correct GST treatment with your accountant before setting the Taxable field.
- When WorkCover Queensland republishes the table each 1 July, export your existing billable items from Data exports, edit only the price column against the matching item codes, keep the original export as a backup, then re-import and enable just the price field.
Sources
- From 1 July 2026 WorkCover Queensland pays speech pathologists $231 an hour, capped at a maximum of one hour, for both the initial consultation (item 700051) and subsequent consultation (item 700053), GST not included. WorkCover Queensland, checked 25 Sep 2026.
- The Speech Pathology Services Table of Costs contains three item numbers: initial consultation, subsequent consultation, and independent case review. WorkCover Queensland, checked 25 Sep 2026.
- All speech pathology services performed must be provided by a speech pathologist who has a current registration with Speech Pathology Australia. WorkCover Queensland, checked 25 Sep 2026.
- An independent case review (item 700226) pays $288 an hour and is only requested by the insurer, not carried out by the treating speech pathologist. WorkCover Queensland, checked 25 Sep 2026.
- Cliniko's data import tool can create billable items in bulk from a CSV with columns for item code, name, price, tax and item type, matched during the import. Cliniko, checked 25 Sep 2026.
- Cliniko can update billable item prices in bulk each year by exporting billable items, editing only the price column against the item ID, and re-importing with only the price field enabled. Cliniko, checked 25 Sep 2026.