Fees, Terms and Conditions
14/03/2025
1. READ RIGHT SPEECH PATHOLOGY SERVICES
Assessments
Assessments can be conducted over one or more sessions, depending on the area(s) requiring investigation. We may need to individualise your child's assessment needs based on the information you provide about your child.
Sometimes, parents/caregivers or educators will be provided with questionnaires to complete and/or observation(s) of your child across other settings may be warranted as part of the assessment process.
Assessment encompasses the time taken to administer assessments as well as to score and analyse results.
Assessments conclude with initial advice and collaborative decision-making to you as to how best to proceed.
Reports
A report typically includes client background information, assessment results outlining clients’ skills usually compared to age-matched peers, recommendations regarding therapy and/or other referrals or assessments needed and/or how liaison with other professionals can be used to support the client. A report will also document any relevant strategies for family, educators or professionals to assist the client’s ongoing development. A speech pathology report is an essential part of the assessment process. Depending on the reason for the referral and assessments completed, the length of reports can vary.
Therapy/Intervention
Individual and direct support services based on the the results of assessments which include indirect services as part of direct service delivery:
pre-session planning and resources
additional parent/carer feedback and discussion
the provision of post-session written feedback in the form of progress notes
home practice materials/resources
email communication as required between sessions.
There may be opportunities for your child to participate in group-based interventions with children working at similar levels. You can express interest in groups any time and ask to be notified when groups become available.
Non-face-to-face
Non-face-to-face – There may be times where you ask us to engage in non-face-to-face supports which are indirect support services or, where required, we may need to:
attend care team or student support group meetings.
attend case conferences.
attend school/teacher meetings.
attend meetings with other professionals.
attend or hold meetings with you about your child.
complete classroom observations of your child as part of assessment.
undertake targeted research to help build your capacity.
create resources to facilitate us in building your capacity.
We will always discuss non-face-to-face activities with you before they occur, why they represent value for money, and why they are reasonable and necessary.
Travel
For mobile services required to deliver a service is necessary and reasonable, we charge a fee that takes into account travel to and from the appointment(s).
2. READ RIGHT SPEECH PATHOLOGY SERVICE FEES
Initial Consultation
Nil. This is a short phone call with you offered following your enquiry to discuss your child, reasons for referral and presenting concerns to provide recommendations and inform a plan for next steps.
Assessment
$200 per hour or 15-minute part(s) thereof.
Generally speaking:
An assessment of fluency (stuttering) or speech clarity may be completed in 1 hour.
An assessment of language or literacy or social communication can take up to 2 hours.
An assessment of both language and literacy skills can take up to 2-3 hours.
You will be provided with a breakdown of the costs for an assessment tailored to the specific assessment(s) your child needs following an initial consultation.
Reports
$200 per hour or 15-minute part(s) thereof.
Depending on the area(s) investigated in assessment and accordingly, the type and number of assessment(s) administered, the time taken for collating the assessment information and report writing can vary from 1-2 hours or more in some circumstances depending on complexity.
You will be provided with a breakdown of the costs for a report tailored to the specific assessment(s) that are recommended for your child following initial consultation.
Therapy/Intervention
$193.99 per hour or part(s) thereof.
Standard sessions are usually 45 minutes with 15 minutes of indirect services. Depending on your child's age and needs, shorter or longer sessions may be offered.
Non Face-to-Face
Any non-face-to-face services of greater than 15-minutes are billed at $200 per hour or 1-minute part(s) thereof.
Travel
$60 per hour or 1-minute part(s) thereof. This covers travel to and from appointments.
Groups
Pricing will be dependent on the number of children participating in a group, the duration of the session and indirect support services required.
3. OTHER FEES AND CHARGES
The replacement or damage of materials or books provided on loan will be charged at cost price.
4. FREQUENCY OF SERVICES
Services can be provided as a once-off or regularly (e.g., weekly or fortnightly).
5. LOCATION AND TIME OF SERVICES
Services can be provided at school, home, via telehealth or a combination of these. We currently provide services on Monday and Friday.
We can also offer Saturday morning services depending on your interest, schedule and our availability.
5. PAYMENT FOR SUPPORTS AND SERVICES
National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
We can see NDIS participants who are either plan managed or self-managed.
Medicare Rebates
Speech pathology services are eligible for a Medicare rebate under the Chronic Disease Management Plan for up to 5 sessions per calendar year. Your GP can confirm your child’s eligibility. If your child is eligible, we recommend obtaining a plan from your GP and providing us with this referral before your first visit to us. Your Medicare rebate can be claimed online on MyGov using details provided on our invoice to you.
Private Health Insurance
Private speech pathology is covered under many health fund plans. We strongly recommend that you ensure you are covered for our services before booking your first appointment if you plan to pay for services through private health insurance. We can provide the invoice receipts you need for Private Health Insurance rebate claims but we cannot process your Private Health Insurance rebates.
SELF-MANAGED NDIS OR PRIVATELY PAYING CLIENTS
If you are self-managed or a privately paying client, we will provide you with an invoice with details of the supports and services delivered, and the amount charged for these:
directly after each support and service has been given to you and;
you will pay the invoiced amount in full directly after each support and service has been provided or;
within 7 days of receiving the invoice.
We currently accept bank transfers and most credit cards via the payment processing platform, Stripe. If you pay via bank transfer, you will include our invoice number in the bank transfer so we can:
promptly identify who the payment is for and;
update your invoice to 'paid' status and/or upon request, provide you with a receipt confirming the payment has been received.
It is your responsibility to make a Payment Request to receive the funds under your NDIS Plan/NDIS Budget.
We reserve the right to reduce the Services or stop providing the Supports to you if payment is not in accordance with this Agreement and we may refer you to a collection agency.
PLAN MANAGED NDIS CLIENTS
If you are plan-managed, we will issue your Plan Manager with an invoice with details of the supports and services delivered, and the amount charged for these:
directly after each support and service has been given to you and;
your Plan Manager will pay the invoiced amount to us on your behalf in full within 7 days of receiving the invoice. They will include our invoice in the bank transfer so we can:
promptly identify who the payment is for and;
provide you with a receipt confirming the payment has been received
Sometimes, things go wrong with NDIS payments. For example, sometimes it turns out that there are not enough NDIS funds available for supports and services that have been provided. Sometimes, your Plan Manager does not pay us in a timely manner.
If we need your help with the Plan Manager, you agree to help us get paid as soon as possible, including speak to your Plan Manager and to sign any documentation required by your Plan Manager to allow our invoices to be paid
If, for any reason, we are unable to get paid for supports and services we have delivered to you under this agreement in a timely manner, you agree that you are personally responsible for paying us in a timely manner.
5. CANCELLATION AND FAIL TO ATTEND POLICY
We require a minimum of 48 hours’ notice of appointment cancellation. At this point, we can offer you a telehealth session or sometimes, try and reschedule your session within the same week or the following week.
Late cancellations of 48 to 24 hours’ notice will incur a cancellation fee of 50% of the scheduled fee.
Late cancellations on the day of an appointment or missed without any contact to us will incur a late cancellation fee equivalent to the full scheduled fee to cover the time spent preparing for the session and, given that the late notification does not allow for the appointment to be offered to someone else.
We understand that unforeseen circumstances may arise from time to time and we may, in our sole discretion, agree to waive all or part of your cancellation fee due to an emergency.
Cancellation fees need to be paid prior to the next scheduled appointment.
To make a cancellation please call or email us. Please include the client’s name, the date and time of the session that you are cancelling. You can also indicate if you would like to proceed to a telehealth session instead. The time of your correspondence will be noted to determine if the late cancellation policy will be applied.
5. FEEDBACK AND COMPLAINTS
Your feedback is invaluable to us as we strive to continuously improve our services and ensure your satisfaction. If you have any concerns with the terms of the service agreement or with any service(s) being provided to you or your child, please contact us to discuss these concerns with us and we will attempt to resolve them with you. We welcome any feedback regarding our service provision, either negative or positive, as it helps us continually strive to improve the quality of the services we provide.
You can contact Clinic Director and Speech Pathologist, Kristina Tachtsis via phone on 0482 054 520 or email at kristina@readrightspeech.com.au to make a complaint who will follow up by arranging a meeting or phone call with you to document a plan to address your concerns in a timely manner.
If you are not satisfied or do not want to talk to Kristina directly and your child is an NDIS participant, you can contact the National Disability Insurance Quality and Safeguard Commission by calling 1800 035 544 or visiting ndiscommission.gov.au for further information.
Alternatively, you can contact Speech Pathology Australia.
6. PERIOD OF ENGAGEMENT
Agreement to the terms of our services starts on the first day a service agreement is signed by both you and us. The agreement is expected to end when we have delivered all the supports and services. This agreement can also end:
(a) 14 days after you tell us you want this agreement to end;
(b) If a party breaches this service agreement, the other party may terminate this agreement without notice if that breach is not remedied within 7 days.
The end of this agreement will not affect our rights to be paid for supports and services we have provided to you before the end of the agreement.
6. OUR RESPONSIBILITIES
For your supports and services under this agreement, we will provide all services in a competent, efficient and satisfactory manner and in accordance with the Code of Ethics 2020 of Speech Pathology Australia and;
provide services to you in a way that meets your needs in a safe environment with respect and courtesy.
review your needs regularly to ensure the services continue to be suitable.
communicate in a clear, honest and timely manner with you.
consult you on all decisions about how services are provided to you.
listen to your feedback and resolve any problems as soon as possible.
deal with your personal information in accordance with our Privacy Policy (which is available on our website).
provide the services in a manner consistent with all relevant laws, including the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 (Cth) if applicable; and
maintain accurate records of the services we have provided to you.
give you 24 hours’ notice (where reasonable) if we need to change or cancel a scheduled appointment
give you a copy of this agreement that has been signed by both of us.
6. YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES
When a parent/carer or legal guardian (where the client is under the age of 18 or is unable to provide consent) sign a service agreement, you agree to:
tell us your decisions and choices about the supports and services you want us to deliver, and how you wish your supports and services to be delivered.
tell us any goals in your NDIS Plan (if you have NDIS) that are relevant for us to know about.
tell us the truth and give us accurate information as soon as possible about changes to your personal circumstances or, NDIS Plan including whether the plan has been replaced, cancelled or suspended (if you have NDIS)
give us the required notice if you cannot come to a scheduled appointment as per our Cancellation and Fail to Attend Policy
give us at least two weeks' notice where you require a report
give us the required notice if you need to end this agreement
first attempt to resolve any disputes or complaints by good-faith negotiation and communication with us
treat us with courtesy and respect
When a parent/carer or legal guardian (where the client is under the age of 18 or is unable to provide consent) signs a service agreement, you acknowledge and understand that:
we may increase or change our service and support fees from time to time and when this happens, you will be provided with reasonable prior notice of two weeks in advance.
abusive or inappropriate behaviour towards staff is not tolerated and may result in the cancellation of your appointments
our services to you may be suspended if there are outstanding payments until payment is made in full
you are responsible for paying for our services in accordance with the terms of this agreement including any debt recovery fees where applicable.