The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) was designed to create opportunity—both for participants and for providers delivering essential care. But behind the growth, a harder question is emerging across Australia:

Is the NDIS still financially sustainable for providers?

More specifically:

Is the NDIS still profitable—and worth it—for allied health clinics, therapy providers, and support businesses?

The answer is not simple. Some providers are thriving. Others are quietly losing money without realising it—until it’s too late.

This article explains the truth about NDIS provider sustainability, what determines NDIS provider profitability, and how tools like the NDIS Financial Clarity Calculator Suite™ are helping providers regain control.

On paper, the NDIS appears financially attractive.

For example, many allied health services can bill up to:

At first glance, this looks highly profitable.

But the hourly rate tells only part of the story.

The real question is not:

“What do you bill?”

It is:

“What does it actually cost you to deliver that service?”

Most providers underestimate their true cost per hour.

NDIS provider profitability is heavily impacted by costs that are often invisible or underestimated.

These include:

Clinicians are rarely billing 100% of their time.

Typical non-billable activities include:

A clinician working 38 hours per week may only bill 22–28 hours.

This dramatically increases the real cost per billable hour.

Salary is only the base cost.

True employment cost includes:

A clinician earning $100,000/year often costs the business $120,000–$135,000 annually.

NDIS providers also carry business overhead including:

These costs must be allocated across billable hours.

Many providers fail to allocate overhead correctly, creating the illusion of profit.

Unlike private healthcare, providers cannot freely increase prices.

NDIS price limits cap revenue.

Meanwhile, costs continue to rise:

Margins shrink silently.

Many providers appear busy—but are financially unstable.

This happens because:

Busy does not equal profitable.

Providers may:

This creates slow financial decline.

Cash flow may appear stable temporarily—but long-term sustainability is compromised.

This explains why many NDIS providers eventually experience:

Not due to lack of demand—but lack of financial clarity.

The NDIS can absolutely be worth it.

But only if your business model is financially sustainable.

Sustainability depends on four key variables:

You must know the real annual cost of each staff member.

Not just salary—but total employment cost.

Utilisation rate determines profitability.

Example:

Clinician cost: $130,000/year
Billable hours: 1,200/year

Cost per billable hour = $108/hour

If billing $193.99/hour, margin exists.

If utilisation drops, profitability disappears.

Overhead must be included in hourly cost.

Ignoring overhead creates false profit.

Every provider has a break-even hourly rate.

If your break-even rate is:

$175/hour

And NDIS pays:

$193.99/hour

Your margin is:

$18.99/hour

But if costs increase, margin disappears.

Most NDIS providers do not know:

They operate based on assumptions.

This is extremely dangerous.

Because small changes in utilisation or costs can eliminate profit entirely.

Without visibility, providers cannot make informed decisions.

Sustainable providers do one thing differently:

They measure their numbers.

They understand:

They make decisions based on data—not assumptions.

This allows them to:

Financial clarity transforms how providers operate.

Instead of guessing, they know:

This removes uncertainty.

It replaces risk with control.

The NDIS Financial Clarity Calculator Suite™ was built specifically to solve this problem.

It gives providers instant visibility into their financial sustainability.

It calculates:

Within minutes.

The system uses your real business inputs, including:

It automatically calculates your:

True cost per billable hour
Break-even hourly rate
Profit margin
Financial sustainability status

This reveals whether your business is financially viable.

Many providers discover surprising results.

Some find they are highly profitable.

Others discover they are operating close to break-even.

Some discover they are losing money without realising.

This insight allows immediate corrective action.

Without financial clarity, providers are vulnerable.

With clarity, providers gain control.

They can:

Financial clarity is the foundation of sustainability.

This tool is essential for:

Whether you are:

Financial clarity protects your business.

The cost of financial ignorance is enormous.

Providers may:

This leads to business failure.

Not because demand disappears.

But because financial sustainability was never measured.

They know their numbers.

They understand their break-even rate.

They operate with clarity.

This allows safe, sustainable growth.

If you deliver NDIS services, you must know:

Are you truly profitable?

Or are you operating on assumptions?

The NDIS Financial Clarity Calculator Suite™ gives you this answer instantly.

It removes uncertainty.

It reveals truth.

It protects your business.