Palliative care and the NDIS
Two systems that have to work together.
When a participant is receiving palliative care, two systems collide: the NDIS funds disability supports, and the health system funds clinical care. Where the line falls can be confusing — and the answer often is, “both, working together.”
What the health system covers
Specialist palliative care, pain management, prescribed medications, hospital and hospice care, palliative care nursing, and palliative medical equipment are all funded by the health system — not the NDIS.
What the NDIS covers
The NDIS continues to fund the disability supports that are still relevant — personal care, assistance with daily living, transport, support coordination, allied health for disability needs (not the terminal illness itself), home modifications and assistive technology to live with the disability.
The two systems are supposed to work side by side, not duplicate or substitute for each other.
Coordination is the hard part
In practice, families often find themselves coordinating between the palliative care team, the GP, support workers, and the NDIS support coordinator. A skilled NDIS support coordinator who understands palliative care is worth their weight in gold.
Palliative Care Australia
National peak body for palliative care
See all 53 guides in Care & end of life →
From bluetulipco.com/library/end-of-life/palliative — printed 1 October 2026.
General information only — not a substitute for legal, medical, financial, or therapeutic advice. Read the full disclaimer.
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