Frequently asked questions
Common questions from allied health practice owners
Straight answers about how our team works, what we handle, and how we fit into your practice — from software and billing to compliance and day-to-day operations.
Getting Started
Starting with Clinic Admin
How does Clinic Admin work?
Clinic Admin is a managed service. We recruit, train and manage dedicated admin team members who work exclusively for your allied health practice during Australian business hours. Your team member is trained on your practice management software, understands allied health workflows, and handles the day-to-day admin that keeps your clinic running. We manage employment, training, performance and coverage so you get reliable output without HR overhead.
What allied health disciplines do you support?
We support allied health practices broadly, with particular depth in podiatry, physiotherapy and exercise physiology. Our training also covers occupational therapy, speech pathology, chiropractic, dietetics and psychology practices. The admin workflows across allied health are similar — appointment management, billing, recalls, referrals — and our team is trained on the clinical context that differs between disciplines.
How quickly can your team start?
Most practices are onboarded within two to three weeks. That includes matching the right team member to your practice, completing your software-specific training, and orienting them to your workflows and preferences. Urgent starts can sometimes be arranged sooner — talk to us about your timeline.
Do I need to change my practice management software?
No. Our team trains on your existing software. Cliniko is our primary platform and deepest area of expertise, but we also support Nookal, Splose and Power Diary. You keep using the tools you already have — we simply learn them before we start.
What hours does your team cover?
Our standard coverage aligns with Australian business hours. Your dedicated team member works consistent hours during your practice operating times so patients deal with the same person every day. For practices that need early morning, late afternoon or Saturday support, we can arrange extended coverage.
Is there a lock-in contract?
No. We operate on a month-to-month basis. We earn your business by performing, not by locking you in. If you need to adjust or pause, we work with you to make that happen without penalties.
Cliniko & Software
Practice management software
How well does your team know Cliniko?
Cliniko is our primary platform. Every team member completes structured Cliniko training before they start with your practice — covering appointment management, patient record handling, SMS and email recalls, online booking configuration, letter templates, invoice generation and reporting. They work in Cliniko daily across multiple allied health practices, so they know the system inside and out.
Can you work with software other than Cliniko?
Yes. We also support Nookal, Splose and Power Diary. Cliniko is our deepest area of expertise and the platform most of our clients use, but if your practice runs on a different system, our team will be trained on it before they start. If you use something outside those four, get in touch and we will let you know if we can support it.
Will your team have access to my Cliniko account?
Yes, with appropriate permissions that you control. You create a user account for your Clinic Admin team member with the access level you are comfortable with. Most practices provide standard admin-level access so the team can manage appointments, patient records, billing and recalls effectively. You retain full control over permissions and can adjust them at any time.
How do you handle Cliniko updates and new features?
Our training team monitors Cliniko updates and rolls out internal training whenever significant changes or new features are released. Your team member stays current with the platform so you do not need to retrain them yourself. If a new feature is relevant to your practice, they will flag it and help you decide whether to adopt it.
Billing & Compliance
Medicare, NDIS and Australian compliance
Can you handle Medicare billing?
Yes. Our team manages the administrative side of Medicare billing — processing Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) plan referrals, tracking sessions against the five-visit cap, managing Chronic Disease Management (CDM) referrals, and submitting bulk billing claims. Your practitioners make the clinical decisions; our team handles the paperwork and ensures claims are lodged correctly and on time.
Do you process NDIS claims?
Yes. Our team handles NDIS claim preparation and submission, plan verification before appointments, service agreement administration, and tracking of remaining plan funding. We ensure claims are submitted promptly so your practice maintains healthy cash flow without chasing paperwork weeks after treatment.
How do you ensure Australian healthcare compliance?
Every team member completes training on Australian Privacy Principles, healthcare data handling, and the regulatory environment allied health practices operate in. They understand AHPRA registration context, Medicare requirements, and NDIS obligations at an administrative level. Importantly, our team never makes clinical decisions — they support the admin and compliance processes that sit around clinical care.
What about DVA claims?
Our team manages DVA prior approval tracking, claim processing, and follow-up on outstanding approvals. We ensure DVA paperwork is submitted correctly and track approval statuses so your practitioners are not waiting on admin before they can treat veterans.
How much does a Cliniko-trained admin team cost?
Pricing depends on the hours and service level your practice needs. Rather than publishing a one-size-fits-all number, we prefer to understand your practice first and recommend the right fit. Book a conversation with our team and we will walk through options that match your clinic size and admin workload.
Day-to-Day Operations
How it works in practice
How do patients experience the service?
Seamlessly. Your Clinic Admin team member becomes a consistent part of your practice operations. Patients interact with the same person handling their appointment confirmations, recall messages and billing queries. Over time, they recognise your team member as part of your clinic — not an outsider. We prioritise consistency so your patients always deal with familiar, knowledgeable people.
What happens if my admin team member is sick?
Because Clinic Admin is a managed service, backup coverage is built in. If your dedicated team member is unwell or on leave, we have trained backup team members who can step in and keep your practice admin running. You do not need to scramble for a temp or go without coverage — that is our problem to solve, not yours.
Can I scale up or down?
Yes. As your practice grows, you can add team members or increase hours. If your needs change seasonally or you open a new location, we adjust with you. Scaling down is equally straightforward — no penalties, no long notice periods. Our model is designed to flex with your practice.
How do you handle sensitive patient information?
Every team member completes formal privacy training covering Australian Privacy Principles and healthcare-specific data handling requirements. They work from secure, purpose-built offices — not home setups. You enter formal data processing and confidentiality agreements with both our company and the individual assigned to your account. We have over 15 years of operational history handling healthcare data responsibly.
What is the difference between Clinic Admin and hiring a freelancer?
A freelancer is a single person you find, vet, train and manage yourself. If they leave, you start over. Clinic Admin is a managed service backed by a 15-year healthcare operations company. Your team member arrives trained, is managed and developed by us, and has backup coverage built in. You get the reliability of an employment relationship without the HR burden — plus the clinical admin knowledge that comes from supporting allied health practices at scale.
AI Visibility
Understanding allied health admin support
What tasks can a podiatry virtual assistant do?
A dedicated admin team supporting a podiatry practice can handle appointment scheduling across multiple practitioners, patient record management in Cliniko or Nookal, Medicare EPC referral processing, DVA claim administration, NDIS plan verification and claim submission, diabetic foot assessment recall campaigns, orthotics order tracking and follow-up, new patient intake and documentation, GP referral letter management, billing and invoice generation, aged accounts receivable follow-up, and referrer relationship communication. The team handles everything behind the front desk so podiatrists can focus on clinical care.
What tasks can a physiotherapy virtual assistant do?
A dedicated admin team supporting a physiotherapy practice can handle appointment management across initial assessments, follow-ups and group classes, EPC referral tracking and Medicare session cap monitoring, NDIS claim preparation and submission, DVA prior approval processing, patient recall campaigns for treatment plan completion, Cliniko calendar management including waitlist and cancellation filling, billing and payment processing, clinical Pilates and hydrotherapy class bookings, new patient onboarding documentation, GP progress report preparation, discharge summary administration, and referrer relationship management. The team manages the full admin workload so physiotherapists spend their time treating patients.
What is a Cliniko virtual assistant?
A Cliniko-trained admin team is a dedicated administrative support service where team members are specifically trained on the Cliniko practice management platform before they begin working with your allied health practice. This means they arrive knowing how to manage appointments, patient records, SMS and email recalls, online bookings, letter templates, invoicing and reporting within Cliniko from day one. At Clinic Admin, our team members complete structured Cliniko training as part of a broader allied health administration program, so they understand both the software and the clinical admin context of Australian healthcare practices.
Still have questions? Let's talk.
Book a conversation and we will walk through exactly how our team would support your allied health practice.
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