The NDIS has standardised pricing that outlines the cost of NDIS supports and services. This is updated yearly; the New 2022 NDIS price guide is available for download now1. These changes come into effect on July 1 2022.
For those accessing services as a part of the NDIS, understanding the costs involved is crucial in ensuring they receive the best outcomes for their money.
There are also changes to the qualifications that a provider must now have in order for a participant to make a claim. We summarise the new NDIS Pricing Arrangement and guidelines for Early intervention supports and Therapy supports. The changes below are relevant to both Plan managed participants and Self managed participants. It is noted that you may still be able to use a provider who does not meet the below guidelines, however, we suggest you clarify this before making a claim with either your plan manager or LAC.
Changes made to the 2021/2022 NDIS Price Guide.
Firstly, a language change: the NDIS has changed the name of the NDIS Price Guide to NDIS Pricing Arrangements. It should also be noted that any unspent funds in your plan at the end of the financial year – 30 June – will be automatically increased to cover the cost of NDIS supports.
Other changes include:
- The price limits for the support you get from disability support workers are going up by 2.9% from 1 July 2022. To support minimum wages and superannuation increases.
- They have also increased NDIS prices for core supports to cover extra COVID-19 costs and improve how support workers work to keep participants safe.
- A 1.1% increase in specialist disability accommodation price limits
- A reduction to the Temporary Transformation Payment (TTP) loading, from 6% to 4.5%
- Providers will be able to use the transitional pricing arrangements for group-based supports for a further 12 months.
- No other pricing changes will go into effect on 1 July 2021.
Providers can no longer have dual Pricing.
This is a vast improvement to the NDIS. Historically, some providers have had an NDIS fee and a fee for everyone else. This is no longer acceptable.
In general, providers should not charge NDIS participants more for a support than they would charge anyone else for the same support. If the price a provider offers to an NDIS participant is different to that which they would offer to a person who was not an NDIA participant, then the provider should ensure that the participant is aware of this difference and the reasons for the difference.2
Early Childhood Intervention Supports (under seven years of age)
These support items provide capacity-building supports, including key workers, to assist a child (under seven years of age)3 with developmental delay or disability and their family or carers in the home, community, and early childhood education settings, to work towards increased functional independence and social participation.
Support items can be delivered to individual participants or groups of participants subject to the rules set out in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits. In particular, these support items can only be delivered by the following types of professionals and by therapy assistants operating under the delegation and supervision of one of the following types of professionals:
• Occupational Therapist – A person who has a current Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) Registration as an Occupational Therapist.
• Physiotherapist – A person who has a current AHPRA Registration as a Physiotherapist.
• Psychologist – A person who has a current AHPRA Registration as a Psychologist.
• Social Worker – A person who is a member of the Australian Association of Social Workers.
• Speech Pathologist – A person who is a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist as approved by Speech Pathology Australia.
• Teacher – A person has a Bachelor’s, Postgraduate or Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education or Special Education.
- Other Professional – A person who is not one of the types of professionals listed above but who the provider considers to be an appropriate professional to deliver therapeutic supports in line with the NDIS Quality and Safeguarding Commission’s requirements for the Therapeutic Supports Registration Group.
Note: Where a therapy assistant delivers support, the therapy assistant must be covered by the professional indemnity insurance of the supervising therapist (or the therapist’s or therapy assistant’s employing provider).
Therapy Supports (over seven years of age)
These support items provide therapeutic services to participants (over seven years of age)4 . Therapy supports are for participants with an established disability to facilitate functional improvement, where maximum medical improvement has been reached.
Support items can be delivered to individual or group participants subject to the rules set out in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits. In particular, these support items can only be delivered by the following types of professionals and by therapy assistants operating under the delegation and supervision of one of the following types of professionals:
• Art Therapist – A professional member of the Australian, New Zealand and Asian Creative Arts Therapy Association (ANZACATA).
• Audiologist – A person who is either currently certified as an Audiology Australia Accredited Audiologist by Audiology Australia or as a Full Member as an audiologist with the Australian College of Audiology.
• Counsellor – A person who is either a member of the Australian Counselling Association or an accredited Registrant with the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia.
• Developmental Educator – A person who is a Full Member of Developmental Educators Australia Inc.
• Dietitian – A person who is an Accredited Practising Dietitian with the Dietitians Australia.
• Exercise Physiologist – A person who is an Accredited exercise physiologist with Exercise and Sports Science Australia.
• Music Therapist – A person who is an Active “Registered Music Therapist” with the Australian Music Therapy Association.
• Occupational Therapist – A person who has a current Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) Registration as an Occupational Therapist.
• Orthoptist – A person who has current registration with the Australian Orthoptic Board. • Physiotherapist – A person who has a current AHPRA Registration as a Physiotherapist. • Podiatrist – A person who has a current AHPRA Registration as a Podiatrist.
• Psychologist – A person who has a current AHPRA Registration as a Psychologist. • Rehabilitation Counsellor – A person who is a member of the Australian Society of Rehabilitation Counsellors Inc. or equivalent.
• Social Worker – A person who is a member of the Australian Association of Social Workers. • Speech Pathologist – A person who is a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist (CPSP) as approved by Speech Pathology Australia.
- Other Professional – A person who is not one of the types of professionals listed above but who the provider considers to be an appropriate professional to deliver therapeutic supports in line with the NDIS Quality and Safeguarding Commission’s requirements for the Therapeutic Supports Registration Group.
Note: Where a therapy assistant delivers support, the therapy assistant must be covered by the professional indemnity insurance of the supervising therapist (or the therapist’s or therapy assistant’s employing provider).
Ensure you have clarity before claiming
Reviewing the new price guide and talking to your providers is essential to ensuring they meet the NDIS Price Arrangements and Price Guides.
You can view the full NDIS price Guide here
References
1.Download the guide 2.NDIS Price Arrangements 2022, page 10. 3.NDIS Price Arrangement 2022, page 90
4. NDIS Price Arrangements, page 91