How Psychologists Can Attract DVA, NDIS and WorkCover Clients

The short answer: veterans, NDIS participants and injured workers are among the most motivated clients a psychologist can see: their sessions are funded, and they are actively looking for someone who will bill their scheme directly with no gap. To attract them, get set up with each scheme, say plainly on your website and listings which schemes you bill and on what terms, build relationships with the people who refer under each scheme (GPs, case managers, support coordinators, rehabilitation providers), and list where clients filter by scheme. ClearAccess Psychology was built for that search.

Part of our marketing series for Australian psychologists.

Why scheme clients are worth focusing on

• They're already looking. A veteran with a Veteran Card or an injured worker with an accepted claim doesn't need convincing to see a psychologist; they need to find one who bills their scheme.
• Fees are set and paid by the scheme. No awkward gap conversations, and no bad debts.
• Many general directories can't help them. Fee and billing details are usually free text, so clients can't reliably filter for "no gap".
• They often stay for a full course of treatment, and referrers who see good outcomes send more.

Scheme by scheme: what you need and how clients find you

DVA

• Who: current and former ADF members with at least one day of continuous full-time service, under Non-Liability Health Care (all mental health conditions, no need to prove a service link), plus Gold Card holders.
• Referral: from the client's usual GP (for the first cycle, also a specialist, hospital doctor or discharge planner). Each referral covers up to 12 sessions or one year, after which you send an end-of-cycle report and the GP can re-refer.
• Fees (1 July 2026 schedule, psychologists): $167.65 for a 50-minute-plus consultation in rooms or by video; $210.65 out of rooms; $251.60 for a 90-minute-plus trauma-focused therapy session in rooms or by video (up to 8 without prior approval, outside the treatment cycle). Clinical psychologists have their own schedule. You must accept the DVA fee as full payment; no gap.
• Telehealth: video funded; phone only when video isn't available; the first session of each cycle in person or by video.
• Not funded: couples counselling (Open Arms provides it).
• Where clients come from: GPs, Open Arms, ex-service organisations, advocates, and veterans searching for "DVA psychologist". Our client-facing guide to DVA-funded psychology and articles on PTSD, depression and other presentations send veterans to DVA-billing psychologists listed with us.

NDIS

• Who: participants with psychology or therapy supports funded in their plan (usually Capacity Building).
• How you're paid: self-managed and plan-managed participants can use registered or unregistered providers; NDIA-managed participants need registered providers. Prices are capped by the NDIS Pricing Arrangements.
• Where clients come from: support coordinators, plan managers, Local Area Coordinators, and participants searching by suburb.

WorkCover (each state and territory) and Comcare

• Who: workers with an accepted claim, or a provisional claim in some states.
• How you're paid: each scheme sets fees and approval processes; many require you to be an approved provider and to report to the insurer.
• Where clients come from: GPs, claim managers, rehabilitation providers and injury management advisors.

Transport accident schemes (TAC in Victoria, CTP elsewhere)

• Who: people injured in a transport accident with an accepted claim.
• Where clients come from: GPs, claim managers and lawyers.

Make your scheme billing impossible to miss

1. A fees page with one line per scheme: "DVA – billed directly, no gap"; "NDIS – self- and plan-managed participants"; "WorkCover Victoria – billed directly, no gap".
2. The same wording everywhere: website, Google Business Profile description, referral sheet and directories.
3. Conditions stated clearly. If you bulk bill Medicare for concession card holders only, say so. On ClearAccess, a scheme with conditions shows as "conditions apply" with your note, never in the plain "$0" line, so clients trust what they see.

How ClearAccess puts you in front of scheme clients

• Clients search by postcode or telehealth and choose their scheme first, then narrow by issue, approach, client group and language.
• Your profile leads with what the client will pay, such as "$0 under DVA, NDIS or WorkCover".
• We publish client guides for each scheme that explain eligibility and send readers to search.
• Ranking is distance first, so being close to the client is what matters most; your plan only breaks ties among listings a similar distance away.
• Free while our badge is on your website (a limited-time offer), with Essential and Growth for priority placement and faster replies.

Picture your inbox a month after listing: a veteran with a fresh GP referral, an NDIS participant whose support coordinator sent them, an injured worker whose claim manager suggested you. Each one searched for exactly the schemes you bill.

Frequently asked questions

How much does DVA pay a psychologist in 2026?

Under DVA's Schedule of Fees for psychologists effective 1 July 2026, a 50-minute-plus consultation in rooms or by video pays $167.65, out of rooms $210.65, and a 90-minute-plus trauma-focused therapy session in rooms or by video $251.60. Clinical psychologists have a separate schedule. Providers must accept the DVA fee as full payment.

Can psychologists charge DVA clients a gap fee?

No. By accepting a Veteran Card, the provider agrees to accept DVA's fee as full payment and can't charge the client a gap.

How do I get more NDIS psychology clients?

Make it clear which participants you can see (self-managed, plan-managed, and NDIA-managed if you're registered), build relationships with local support coordinators and plan managers, and list in directories that let participants filter for NDIS.

Is there a directory where clients can filter for psychologists who bill DVA, NDIS or WorkCover?

Yes. ClearAccess Psychology lets clients search by postcode or telehealth and filter by scheme, including Medicare bulk billing, DVA, NDIS, WorkCover in every state and territory, transport accident schemes and Comcare, showing only psychologists who bill that scheme directly.

List the schemes you bill, free

Create your free listing and choose your schemes, or compare the plans.

DVA figures are from DVA's Schedule of Fees – Psychologists effective 1 July 2026 and DVA's provider guidance, checked 25 October 2026. Check each scheme's current rules before relying on them.