How to fund a Kera hoist in Australia?

Short answer: most Australians who need a Kera Home or Kera Travel hoist don't pay for it themselves. The Kera is registered with the TGA and is fundable through the NDIS (as mid-cost assistive technology), through Support at Home for people over 65, through DVA for veterans, and through several state equipment and insurance schemes.

In every case the process starts the same way: an occupational therapist (OT) or physiotherapist assesses you, trials the Kera with you, and writes the recommendation.

This page explains each pathway, what the assessor needs from us, and how to get a trial.

Which pathway applies to you?

Your situation	Likely funding pathway	Who prescribes
Under 65 with a permanent disability and an NDIS plan	NDIS — Capital budget, Assistive Technology	OT or physio (AT advisor)
65 and over, living at home	Support at Home — Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) scheme	OT or physio, arranged through your Support at Home provider
Veteran with a DVA Gold Card, or White Card for an accepted condition	DVA Rehabilitation Appliances Program (RAP)	OT with a GP or specialist referral
Injured at work or in a motor vehicle accident	Insurer or lifetime-care scheme — icare (NSW), TAC (Vic), NIISQ (Qld), WorkCover in your state	OT engaged by the scheme
Not eligible for the above	State equipment schemes (MASS, EnableNSW, SWEP and others) or self-funding	OT or physio

If you're unsure which applies, contact us or any of our Australian dealers and we'll point you in the right direction — we do this every week.

Alternative Funding Options

Support at Home (aged care, 65+)

Support at Home replaced Home Care Packages on 1 November 2025. Equipment is now funded separately from your ongoing care budget through the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) scheme, which has three tiers:

low (under $500);
medium (up to $2,000); and
high (up to $15,000, or more if needed).

A Kera hoist falls in the high tier.

For the high tier, a suitably qualified health professional — an OT or physiotherapist — must prescribe the equipment.

Your Support at Home provider then arranges the assessment, sources the Kera and manages the purchase; you don't need to organise the paperwork yourself. Prescription and fitting are classed as clinical supports and are fully government-funded; whether you contribute to the equipment cost depends on your income and assets assessment.

Two practical points.

First, the government is developing a National Assistive Technology Loans scheme for higher-cost items, so in some states your provider may offer the Kera on loan rather than purchase; either way, the clinical process is the same.

Second, if you were on a Home Care Package before November 2025 and have already been assessed, ask your provider whether your existing approval carries over before you start again.

NDIS

The NDIS classifies assistive technology (AT) by cost.

Under $1,500 is low-cost;
$1,500 to $15,000 is mid-cost;
over $15,000 is high-cost.

The Kera Home and Kera Travel sit in the mid-cost band, which matters because it's simpler than high-cost AT: you need written advice from an AT advisor (usually your OT or physio), but you do not need the NDIA to approve a formal quote before purchase.

What the process looks like in practice:

1. Assessment and trial. Your OT or physio assesses your transfer needs and trials the Kera with you and your caregiver. Our dealers can bring a demonstration unit to your home.

2. AT advice. The assessor writes an assistive technology report recommending the Kera, explaining why it's the most appropriate and cost-effective option for your goals. We provide a scripting guide and a specification sheet to make this straightforward — see "What your OT needs from us" below.

3. Plan funding. Mid-cost AT is funded from the Capital – Assistive Technology budget in your plan. If your current plan doesn't have enough Capital funding, the AT report supports a plan reassessment. The NDIA aims to decide low- and mid-cost AT requests within 28 days of receiving complete evidence.

4. Purchase. Once funding is in your plan, you (or your plan manager or support coordinator) order the Kera from an NDIS-registered dealer. The dealer delivers, fits the chest pad and back strap for you, and trains your caregivers.

A note on the wording your OT will use: the NDIS funds supports that are "reasonable and necessary" and that relate to your disability. For most Kera users the case rests on the need for a single caregiver to transfer a person who cannot bear weight, the reduction in manual-handling risk to the caregiver, and the dignity and hygiene benefits of a sling-free transfer. We can supply outcome evidence from existing users if the assessor wants it.

DVA — Rehabilitation Appliances Program

Veterans with a Gold Card, or a White Card where the need relates to an accepted condition, can receive equipment through the RAP.

An OT assesses you (with a referral from your GP or specialist), completes the RAP form, and submits it to a DVA-contracted supplier, who obtains any prior approval needed.

White Card holders and items above scheduled limits always need prior approval.

State and territory equipment schemes

Each state runs a subsidy or loan scheme for people who aren't covered by the NDIS or aged care. The main ones are:

MASS (Queensland);
EnableNSW (New South Wales);
SWEP (Victoria);
the Department of Human Services Equipment Program (South Australia);
the Community Aids and Equipment Program (Western Australia);
the Community Equipment Scheme (Tasmania);
the Territory Equipment Program (Northern Territory);
and the ACT Equipment Scheme.

Eligibility, co-payments and whether a hoist is subsidised in full vary by state, and most require a prescription from an OT or physio and a concession card. Our dealers deal with these schemes regularly and can tell you what's realistic in your state

Insurers and lifetime-care schemes

If your need for a hoist arises from a workplace or motor-vehicle injury, your equipment is normally funded by the relevant scheme:

icare Lifetime Care (New South Wales);
TAC (Victoria);
NIISQ (Queensland); or
or WorkCover — on the recommendation of the OT they appoint.

These schemes fund the equipment the treating team recommends; the Kera's compliance with AS/NZS 10535 and its TGA entry are what their reviewers look for.

Paying privately, renting and trials

Some families choose to buy directly, especially when a diagnosis such as MND means time matters more than paperwork.

A few things worth knowing:

assistive technology designed for people with disability is generally GST-free in Australia;
most of our dealers offer short-term hire, which can bridge the gap while funding is approved;
every dealer can arrange a trial before you commit;
Current pricing is available from any dealer.

What your OT needs from us

We've made the Kera easy to prescribe. For any funding application, we or the dealer can provide:

The Kera scripting guide, which walks the assessor through choosing the base height (low or high) and handle length (Kera 80 or Kera 120) from the user's seat heights and weight.
A specification sheet with dimensions, weights and safe working loads (Kera Home 80 kg or 120 kg; Kera Travel 100 kg).
Regulatory evidence: Kera Home is on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG 388973) and Kera Travel (ARTG 522375), both as Class I medical devices, and both are tested to AS/NZS 10535 in a NATA-accredited laboratory.
Clinical justification points commonly used in AT reports:
- single-caregiver transfer of a non-weight-bearing person;
- no sling, so no rolling or sling-fitting and lower manual-handling risk;
- open access to clothing for toileting and hygiene without additional transfers; transfers typically under two minutes;
- no batteries or electrical components;
- suitable for progressive conditions (MND, MS, muscular dystrophy) where standing ability is being lost.
User stories and outcome evidence from Australian and New Zealand families and care facilities, if the assessor wants to reference lived experience.

Ask your assessor to contact us if they haven't prescribed a Kera before — a fifteen-minute call usually answers everything.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Kera hoist NDIS funded?

Yes. It's mid-cost assistive technology, funded from the Capital budget of an NDIS plan on the written advice of an OT or physiotherapist. A formal quote is not required for mid-cost AT.

Do I need an occupational therapist?

For every funded pathway, yes — an OT or physiotherapist must assess you and recommend the hoist. If you're buying privately you don't strictly need one, but we still recommend a trial so the right model and chest pad are chosen.

How long does NDIS approval take?

The NDIA aims to decide low- and mid-cost AT requests within 28 days of receiving complete evidence. The assessment and report usually take longer than the decision, so the earlier the trial happens, the better.

Can I get a Kera through My Aged Care?

Yes, through Support at Home's AT-HM scheme. Ask your Support at Home provider to arrange an OT assessment; the Kera falls in the high tier (up to $15,000).

Can the Kera be hired instead of bought?

A number of our Australian dealers offer short-term hire, and the new National AT Loans scheme may make loan units available through Support at Home in some states.

Is the Kera Travel funded the same way as the Kera Home?

Yes — both are TGA-listed and sit in the same NDIS cost band. Assessors usually justify the Kera Travel on community access and participation goals (getting to appointments, family, holidays) rather than in-home transfers alone.

Where do I get one in Australia?

From our dealer network — Aidacare, Back to Sleep, Linds Rehab, Nudge Assist and Smart Places — or directly from HT Systems. See the Where to buy page.

This page is general information, not financial or clinical advice. Funding rules change; last reviewed September 2026. Speak to your OT, plan manager or Support at Home provider about your situation.