Frequently asked questions

Maree-CareFlow is a self-hosted practice management platform built from the ground up for Australian allied health and NDIS service providers. It handles NDIS billing, multi-funder claim management (Medicare, DVA, WorkCover, CTP, Home Care), clinical documentation, AI report generation, staff rostering, SDA compliance, and client management — all in a single platform. Unlike general scheduling tools, every feature was designed around Australian regulatory requirements including NDIS PACE, AHPRA, Privacy Act 1988, and the SCHADS Award.

Maree-CareFlow was built from the ground up specifically for the Australian NDIS and multi-funder environment, rather than adapted from a general-purpose scheduling tool. Key differentiators: (1) True NDIS period-by-period budget tracking — not just lifetime totals; (2) All 8 state and territory motor accident compensation schemes natively supported in a single platform; (3) AI clinical report generation that runs locally on your server with mandatory AHPRA consent checkpoints — clinical text never leaves your infrastructure; (4) Australian data sovereignty — self-hosted on infrastructure you control, so PHI never leaves Australian soil without your explicit configuration.

Yes. Maree-CareFlow supports a broad range of Australian healthcare funding types: NDIS (agency-managed, plan-managed, and self-managed), Medicare MBS, Medicare Better Access MHTP, Medicare Eating Disorder Program, DVA, Home Care Package (HCP), Private Insurance, WorkCover (all states), and all 8 motor accident CTP/no-fault schemes (TAC, MAIB, CTP NSW/QLD/SA/WA, MAIC ACT, MAC NT). You can assign multiple funding sources to a single client and track each independently.

Each NDIS participant's funding pool can be configured with a period type (annual, quarterly, monthly, or fortnightly) and a budget amount per period. As you create and approve time entries, Maree-CareFlow deducts from the current period's budget — not the lifetime total. You can see exactly how much is remaining in the current period, the weekly burn rate ($/week), and a projected date when the budget will be exhausted. Automated alerts notify you (and optionally the plan manager) when the balance reaches your configured threshold. This prevents the common compliance issue of accidentally overspending a period's budget.

Your data is stored on infrastructure you control. Maree-CareFlow is a self-hosted application — you install it on your own cPanel server, Docker VPS, or bare-metal server in Australia. No participant data is ever transmitted to Maree-CareFlow's servers or any third-party cloud service without your explicit configuration. The AI features also run locally on your server — clinical text never leaves your infrastructure. Enterprise customers can receive a written Australian data residency commitment on request.

Yes. Because Maree-CareFlow is self-hosted, your practice is the data controller for all health information. The software is designed to support your obligations under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles: data minimisation, purpose limitation, participant access/correction rights, and breach notification. Our Privacy Policy sets out how we handle the limited data we collect from our marketing website. See Privacy Policy for full details.

Yes. Maree-CareFlow implements all applicable Australian frameworks for AI in clinical settings: (1) AHPRA Good Practice Guidance (2024) — a mandatory client consent checkbox must be confirmed before any report is generated; generation is blocked if consent is not confirmed; (2) Privacy Act 1988 APP 3/6/8/11 — AI runs entirely on-premises on your server; health data never leaves your server; (3) NDIS Commission Position Statement (Feb 2026) — Behaviour Support Plan report types are hard-blocked at the API level; they cannot be generated under any circumstances; (4) ACSQHC AI Clinical Use Guide — a written practitioner attestation is required before any AI-drafted report can be approved. Every AI report generation is logged in the immutable audit trail.

Yes. Maree-CareFlow includes a cPanel deployment package specifically designed for shared hosting. Download the release zip from the Downloads page, upload it to your cPanel File Manager, extract it into public_html, and run the 5-screen setup wizard. The wizard guides you through database configuration, admin account creation, and email setup. Full step-by-step instructions are in the Install Guide. Note: AI features require a VPS or bare-metal server, as shared hosting cannot run local AI models.

cPanel (no AI features): Shared hosting with PHP 7.4+, Python 3.11+, PostgreSQL with PDO driver, and at least 512 MB RAM. Docker or Ubuntu VPS (with AI features): 4 vCPU, 16 GB RAM, 100 GB SSD — or 8 vCPU, 32 GB RAM, 200 GB SSD for larger practices. Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or 24.04 LTS recommended. Full requirements are on the Downloads page.

cPanel: Download the new release zip, upload to public_html, extract (overwrite), and the upgrade wizard runs automatically on first load. Back up your database before upgrading. Docker: Run the new installer script with the --upgrade flag — it pulls the new images, runs database migrations, and restarts services. Ubuntu bare-metal: Run the new installer script with --upgrade. Full upgrade instructions are provided with each release on the Downloads page.

Yes — the Starter tier is free forever, with no credit card required. It supports up to 10 active clients, includes core scheduling, NDIS billing, and client management. It's designed for sole practitioners just starting out, or for practices evaluating the platform before committing. Upgrade to Practitioner or Practice at any time without losing your data.

Free (Starter) tier: email support with a 72-hour response SLA. Practitioner tier: email + chat support with a 24-hour SLA during business hours (AEST). Practice tier: email support with a 12-hour SLA + live chat. Enterprise: dedicated account manager, 4-hour response SLA, and an optional direct channel with the engineering team. Add-on Priority Support (AUD $75/month) upgrades any tier to a 2-hour response SLA.

Subscription fees are quoted and charged in Australian Dollars (AUD). This is shown clearly on the Pricing page. Prices are exclusive of GST unless stated otherwise.

Yes. Monthly subscriptions can be cancelled at any time with effect from the end of the current billing period. Annual subscriptions can be cancelled with effect from the end of the annual period; no partial-year refunds are available except where required under the Australian Consumer Law. Because your data is self-hosted, cancelling your subscription does not delete your data — it remains on your server for you to export or archive as you choose.

Enterprise includes everything in the Practice plan plus: unlimited seats, white-label option (your branding, your domain), SSO integration (SAML/OIDC with Azure AD, Okta, and others), dedicated onboarding with a live install session, SLA-backed support with a 4-hour response time, a written Australian data residency commitment, custom API integration assistance, and volume licensing. Contact our enterprise team for a custom quote.

Yes. Maree-CareFlow's multi-organisation architecture supports NDIS Plan Management (PM) organisations managing funding on behalf of multiple participants and service providers. The platform supports PM-specific workflows including provider payment processing, budget oversight across participant portfolios, and the NDIS PACE API for direct portal submission. Contact our enterprise team to discuss your PM workflow requirements.