Art and music therapies will continue to be available to people with disability under the National Disability Insurance Scheme where there is evidence it will provide beneficial outcomes.
The Independent Review of Art and Music Therapies led by leading health economist Dr Stephen Duckett AM confirmed that they could be effective and beneficial in the right circumstances.
The Duckett Review made 19 recommendations relating to art and music supports for NDIS participants, of which 15 are directed to the National Disability Insurance Agency. The NDIA supports all the recommendations directed to it.
The review's key recommendations include:
- Art and music therapies should be delivered by a qualified therapist who is registered with a recognised professional association.
- A new national price limit of $156.16 per hour for Art and Music Therapy, in line with the maximum payment rate for counselling.
- Making a clearer distinction between art and music as a therapeutic support, and art and music as a non-therapeutic support.
- NDIS funding cannot directly be used to cover the cost of art and music activities, however funding can be used for supports to enable participation in art or music activities, just not the cost of the activity itself.
- The NDIS Evidence Advisory Committee should assess the evidence base of music and art therapy interventions for specific groups of people in its 2025-26 work plan.
- That the NDIS Evidence Advisory Committee develop a process for making decisions where there is a poorly developed evidence base.
The Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits (PAPL) Guide will be updated to reflect the new pricing for art and music therapies, which will take effect from 24 November 2025.
In the meantime, participants can keep accessing the supports outlined in their plans.
The Evidence Advisory Committee has been set-up to provide evidence-based decisions about whether supports are effective or not, and whether they should be available through the NDIS.
The Evidence Advisory Committee will act on Dr Duckett's recommendations by early 2026.
