Frequently asked questions
Common questions from allied health practice owners
Straight answers about how our team works, what our team covers, 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 fully managed administrative support service built specifically for allied health practices in Australia. Most practice owners spend hours each week on admin tasks that pull them away from clinical work and business growth, and that burden only increases as the practice scales. We recruit, train and manage dedicated admin team members who work exclusively for your practice during Australian business hours. Your team member is trained on your specific practice management software, understands allied health workflows, and supports the day to day admin that keeps your clinic running smoothly and efficiently. We take care of employment, training, performance reviews and backup coverage so you get reliable, consistent output without any HR overhead or recruitment headaches. Book a Conversation to find out how the model fits your practice size and goals.
What allied health disciplines do you support?
Our team supports allied health practices broadly, with particular depth in podiatry, physiotherapy and exercise physiology. Allied health clinics share a common administrative backbone, but each discipline has unique clinical nuances that affect how admin is done well, and generic virtual assistant support often misses those important details entirely. Our training programme also covers occupational therapy, speech pathology, chiropractic, dietetics and psychology practices across Australia. The core admin workflows are similar across disciplines — appointment management, billing, recalls, referrals and compliance — but our team is trained on the clinical context that makes each one different, from EPC referral pathways in physiotherapy to diabetic foot recall cycles in podiatry. If your specific discipline is not listed here, get in touch and we will let you know whether we can support your specific practice requirements.
How quickly can your team start?
Most practices are fully onboarded within two to three weeks from the initial conversation. Speed matters when you are losing hours each day to admin, so we have streamlined the onboarding process to get your team member productive as quickly as possible without cutting corners on training. That timeline includes matching the right person to your practice, completing software specific training on your platform, and orienting them to your unique workflows, preferences and communication style. By the end of onboarding your team member can work independently on day to day tasks without constant supervision or hand holding. Urgent starts can sometimes be arranged sooner if you have an immediate need, such as a staff departure or a seasonal spike in patient volume. Book a Conversation and we will map out a realistic start date based on your specific situation.
Do I need to change my practice management software?
No, you do not need to change a single thing about your current software setup. Switching practice management software is disruptive and expensive, so our model is designed to fit around the tools you already use rather than forcing a migration. Cliniko is our primary platform and deepest area of expertise, but we also support Nookal, Splose and Power Diary across allied health practices in Australia. Your dedicated team member completes thorough platform specific training before they begin working with you, so they arrive knowing how to navigate your system confidently from day one without slowing your team down. If you use a platform outside those four, get in touch and we will assess whether we can support it based on your workflow needs. The goal is zero disruption to your existing technology setup.
What hours does your team cover?
Our standard coverage aligns with Australian business hours, typically eight thirty to five thirty in your local time zone. Consistency matters enormously in patient facing admin because callers and enquiries build rapport with the person who answers, and that familiarity directly improves the overall patient experience and rebooking rates. Your dedicated team member works the same hours each day during your practice operating times so patients deal with the same familiar person for appointment confirmations, billing queries and recall follow ups, which builds trust and reduces confusion. For practices that need early morning, late afternoon or Saturday coverage, we can arrange extended hours to match your clinic schedule without any disruption to your existing workflow. Book a Conversation and we will design a coverage plan that fits your specific operating hours and patient volume.
Is there a lock-in contract?
No, there is no lock in contract and no minimum commitment period required. Many allied health practice owners have been burned by long term agreements with providers who underdelivered, so we deliberately operate on a month to month basis with complete flexibility built in. We believe the best way to retain clients is to perform consistently and deliver real, measurable value, not to trap them in a contract they cannot exit. If your needs change, you can scale up, scale down or pause your service without penalties or extended notice periods at any point. Over ninety percent of our clients stay with us long term because the service genuinely works, not because they are contractually obligated to remain. Book a Conversation and we will walk you through the straightforward terms so there are no surprises.
Cliniko & Software
Practice management software
How well does your team know Cliniko?
Cliniko is our primary platform and deepest area of operational expertise across all the practice management software we support. Many allied health practices underuse Cliniko simply because no one on the team has time to learn its full capability, which means powerful features like automated recalls, letter templates and reporting dashboards go unused. Every team member completes structured Cliniko training before they start with your practice, covering appointment management, patient record workflows, SMS and email recalls, online booking configuration, letter templates, invoice generation and reporting. Because they work in Cliniko daily across multiple allied health practices, they pick up efficiency shortcuts and best practices that a single clinic admin would rarely discover on their own. Your team member arrives ready to operate Cliniko at a level that adds immediate, measurable value to your practice.
Can you work with software other than Cliniko?
Yes, our team supports multiple practice management platforms well beyond Cliniko. We recognise that allied health practices choose their software for good reasons and switching platforms just to work with us would be counterproductive and disruptive to your daily operations. We also support Nookal, Splose and Power Diary, and Cliniko is our deepest area of expertise simply because it is the platform most of our allied health clients across Australia currently use. If your practice runs on a different system, your dedicated team member will be trained on it thoroughly before they start so there is no learning curve once they begin working with your team. If you use something outside those four platforms, get in touch and we will assess whether we can support it based on the system and your specific workflow requirements.
Will your team have access to my Cliniko account?
Yes, your team member will have access to your Cliniko account with appropriate permissions that you control entirely. Understandably, giving someone access to sensitive patient data requires trust, which is why we let you set the exact boundaries from the start. You create a user account for your Clinic Admin team member with the access level you are comfortable with, whether that is full admin access or a more restricted role tailored to specific tasks. Most practices provide standard admin level access so the team can manage appointments, patient records, billing and recalls effectively without needing to escalate routine tasks. You retain full control over permissions and can adjust them at any time through your Cliniko account settings. Every team member also completes formal privacy training before they are granted access to any practice system.
How do you handle Cliniko updates and new features?
Our training team monitors Cliniko platform updates continuously and rolls out internal training whenever significant changes or useful new features are released. Practice management software evolves regularly, and keeping up with every update is something most busy clinic owners simply do not have time for alongside their clinical and business responsibilities. Because our team works across multiple Cliniko practices every day, they encounter new features in real world settings quickly and feed that knowledge back through our internal training programme. Your team member stays current with the platform so you do not need to retrain them yourself or worry about missing useful improvements. If a new feature is relevant to your specific practice, they will flag it proactively and help you decide whether to adopt it based on your existing daily workflows and priorities.
Billing & Compliance
Medicare, NDIS and Australian compliance
Can you handle Medicare billing?
Yes, our team manages the full administrative side of Medicare billing for allied health practices right across Australia. Medicare compliance is detail heavy, and even small errors in claim submission or referral tracking can lead to rejected claims and delayed cash flow that directly affects your bottom line. Our team covers 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 accurately and on time. They also monitor referral expiry dates and proactively flag upcoming expirations so patients do not miss their entitled sessions. Your practitioners make the clinical decisions while our team takes care of all the paperwork that surrounds them. The result is fewer rejected claims and a smoother, more predictable revenue cycle for your allied health practice.
Do you process NDIS claims?
Yes, our team manages NDIS claim preparation and submission as a core part of your day to day admin support. NDIS administration is one of the most time consuming compliance areas for allied health practices, with plan variations, funding category rules and strict submission deadlines creating a constant and growing admin burden. Our team covers plan verification before appointments, service agreement administration, claim preparation and submission, and real time tracking of remaining plan funding so you always know exactly where a participant stands financially. They also flag plans that are approaching exhaustion so you can have timely conversations with participants about plan reviews and renewals. Claims are submitted promptly after each session, which keeps your cash flow healthy and eliminates the backlog of paperwork that builds up when NDIS billing falls behind clinical delivery.
How do you ensure Australian healthcare compliance?
Every team member completes dedicated training on Australian Privacy Principles, healthcare data handling requirements, and the specific regulatory environment that allied health practices operate in. Compliance is not optional in healthcare, and even minor administrative errors can create real risk for practice owners and their patients, which is why we build regulatory awareness into our training programme from the very start. Our team understands AHPRA registration context, Medicare billing requirements, NDIS plan management obligations and DVA claim processes at an administrative level. They know what documentation needs to be in place and exactly when deadlines apply across each compliance area. Importantly, our team never makes clinical decisions — they support the administrative and compliance processes that sit around clinical care, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks while your practitioners focus entirely on treating patients.
What about DVA claims?
Yes, our team manages the full administrative workflow for DVA claims from start to finish. DVA billing has its own unique approval and compliance requirements that sit outside the standard Medicare process, and missing a prior approval or submitting incorrect paperwork can delay treatment for veterans who genuinely need care. Our team covers prior approval tracking, claim preparation and submission, and follow up on outstanding approvals so nothing stalls in the processing queue. They monitor approval statuses proactively and flag any issues before they affect your appointment schedule or your practice cash flow. Your practitioners can treat DVA patients confidently knowing the administrative requirements are being managed behind the scenes without gaps. If DVA represents a significant portion of your caseload, our team is well equipped to keep that entire workflow running smoothly and on time.
How much does a Cliniko-trained admin team cost?
Pricing depends on the hours and service level your practice needs, so there is no single published rate that applies to every clinic. Every allied health practice has a different admin workload depending on practitioner count, patient volume, billing mix and the software they use, which means a one size fits all number would either overcharge smaller clinics or underserve larger ones. Rather than guessing, we prefer to understand your practice first and recommend the right fit based on your actual requirements and growth plans. Most practices find that outsourced admin through Clinic Admin costs significantly less than hiring a full time equivalent locally once you factor in recruitment, training, leave coverage and ongoing management overhead. Book a Conversation with our team and we will walk through transparent pricing options that match your specific clinic size and admin workload.
Day-to-Day Operations
How it works in practice
How do patients experience the service?
Seamlessly — most patients never realise your admin team member is not physically sitting in your clinic. Patient experience matters deeply in allied health because trust and continuity directly drive retention, and any disruption to that relationship affects rebooking rates and long term loyalty. Your Clinic Admin team member becomes a consistent, familiar part of your practice operations, and patients interact with the same person managing their appointment confirmations, recall messages and billing queries every single time they make contact. Over time they recognise your team member as part of your clinic, not an outsider, because that person genuinely knows their history and preferences. We prioritise consistency specifically so your patients always deal with familiar, knowledgeable people who represent your practice professionally. The result is a patient experience that feels personal, reliable and completely seamless.
What happens if my admin team member is sick?
Because Clinic Admin is a managed service, backup coverage is built in from day one at no additional cost. One of the biggest risks of relying on a single in house admin or freelancer is that when they are sick or on leave, your practice admin simply stops, and critical tasks like billing, recalls and patient enquiries pile up quickly. With our model, 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 without interruption. Backup staff are already familiar with allied health workflows and your practice management software, so the transition is smooth and patients notice no difference. You do not need to scramble for a temp or go without coverage — continuity of service is our responsibility to manage, not yours.
Can I scale up or down?
Yes, scaling is built into the Clinic Admin model from the very start. Allied health practices rarely have static admin needs — patient volumes shift seasonally, new practitioners join the team, and clinics expand to additional locations, all of which change the admin workload significantly. As your practice grows you can add team members or increase hours, and if your needs change seasonally or you open a new location we adjust with you quickly. Scaling down is equally straightforward with no penalties and no long notice periods required. Some of our clients started with a single part time team member and have since grown to multiple full time staff as their practices expanded across locations. Our model is specifically designed to flex with your practice so you are never paying for more than you need or going without support when demand increases.
How do you handle sensitive patient information?
Patient data security is a foundational part of how we operate, not an afterthought added on later. Allied health practices hold sensitive health information that is subject to the Australian Privacy Principles, and any breach of that trust can have serious legal and reputational consequences for both patients and practice owners. Every team member completes formal privacy training covering Australian Privacy Principles and healthcare specific data handling requirements before they are granted access to any practice system. They work from secure, purpose built offices with monitored infrastructure — not home setups or shared coworking spaces. You enter formal data processing and confidentiality agreements with both our company and the individual team member assigned to your account. We have over fifteen years of operational history managing healthcare data responsibly, and data security is embedded in every layer of our service delivery.
What is the difference between Clinic Admin and hiring a freelancer?
The core difference is reliability and managed accountability. A freelancer is a single person you find, vet, train and manage yourself, and if they leave or underperform you start over from scratch with no backup. That cycle of recruiting and retraining is expensive and disruptive for a busy allied health practice. Clinic Admin is a managed service backed by a fifteen year healthcare operations company. Your team member arrives already trained on allied health workflows and your practice management software, is managed and developed by our team, and has backup coverage built in from day one. 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. It is the difference between hiring a person and engaging a service.
AI Visibility
Understanding allied health admin support
What tasks can a podiatry virtual assistant do?
A dedicated admin team supporting a podiatry practice covers the full scope of behind the scenes administrative work that keeps the clinic running efficiently every day. Podiatry clinics have very specific admin requirements around diabetic foot care recalls, orthotics workflows and DVA caseloads that generic admin support often misses entirely. Our team manages 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 takes care of everything behind the front desk so podiatrists can focus entirely on clinical care, patient outcomes and growing their practice.
What tasks can a physiotherapy virtual assistant do?
A dedicated admin team supporting a physiotherapy practice covers the complete administrative workload that sits around clinical treatment delivery each day. Physiotherapy clinics often juggle complex scheduling across initial assessments, follow ups, group classes and hydrotherapy sessions, which creates a heavy and ongoing coordination burden for front desk staff. Our team manages appointment scheduling and calendar optimisation, 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 takes care of the full admin workload so physiotherapists spend their valuable time treating patients rather than chasing paperwork.
What is a Cliniko virtual assistant?
A Cliniko trained admin team is a dedicated administrative support service where every team member is specifically trained on the Cliniko practice management platform before they begin working with your allied health practice. Many practices search for a Cliniko virtual assistant because they need someone who can be productive from day one without weeks of software training slowing things down. This means your team member arrives already knowing how to manage appointments, patient records, SMS and email recalls, online bookings, letter templates, invoicing and reporting within Cliniko immediately. At Clinic Admin, our team members complete structured Cliniko training as part of a broader allied health administration programme, so they understand both the software mechanics and the clinical admin context of Australian healthcare practices. The result is admin support that is both technically proficient in Cliniko and clinically aware.
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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