Australia is supporting its citizens through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). This program helps disabled Australians get the care and support they need.
Unfortunately, with all the bureaucracy, getting payments to help you live a fulfilling life can be complicated.
That’s where NDIS plan management comes in. This article will walk you through NDIS plans and NDIS plan management options.
NDIS Plans & Services
The first hurdle to NDIS services is to apply and be approved. There are a few requirements:
- Have a permanent disability that affects everyday life
- Australian citizenship
- Under the age of 65
- Live in areas of Australia with NDIS
Once you have qualified for NDIS services, they will help you with several things:
- Accessing services and supports
- Continue informal support services
- Receiving necessary monetary supports
A lot of NDIS services relate to giving you full access in your community. There may be places that aren’t physically accessible or places that aren’t welcoming to people with disabilities.
NDIS also helps you maintain the support and care you are getting from your family and friends. This support may be more helpful for the people who care for you rather than for you personally.
NDIS will make sure you receive the medical help you need as well as help you to live a fulfilling life with your disability. This may be through education or job-training.
Since those and other disability-related services cost money, NDIS will give you some financial support. This is where plan management is crucial.
NDIS Self-Management
Once NDIS has sat down with you and designed a plan to meet your specific needs, you will receive funding based on that plan. How you spend this funding is pretty much up to you.
This can be pretty intimidating if you haven’t had to budget before or if you have multiple family members receiving NDIS funds.
You will have to decide if you want to pay your expenses up front and be reimbursed. Otherwise, you will have to submit your bills to NDIS and wait for them to put the correct amount in your bank account. You will then pay the bill yourself.
You will also have to report to the NDIA about all your disability-related payments and the funds you used from NDIS. This means keeping every document related to an NDIS-paid expense.
This can be a lot of paperwork to juggle since either payment method you choose means you have to save all your receipts, invoices, and service charges.
Here are some questions to ask yourself to see if you are a good candidate for NDIS self-management:
- Do you pay your bills on time?
- Can you make sure all the items on your bank statement are legitimate?
- Can you keep your paperwork organized and safe?
- Can you be firm with someone if you don’t like what they are doing?
- Do you know what skills you have and when to ask for help? If so, do you know who you can ask for help?
- Do you know the laws about hiring and employing your own support staff?
If you can say yes to all these questions, then self-management is an option for you.
NDIS Plan Management
If you’re worried about NDIS self-management, NDIS plan management can be a part of your actual NDIS plan.
So, what does an NDIS plan manager actually do? Quite a lot!
First, an NDIS plan manager will handle all the finances, leaving you free of that worry. They will take invoices straight from the providers, or you can hand them the invoices yourself. Either way, you won’t have to worry about all those incoming bills and getting the right payment to the right person on time.
When it comes to NDIS payments, there’s a lot to keep track of. A plan manager will upload all of the information necessary for your payment requests. Not having to worry about finding and uploading the correct documentation is a huge help!
An NDIS plan manager will also give you a summary of your monthly expenditures, the current amounts, and necessary budget items. Basically, they’ll make sure you know where your money is going and make sure you don’t spend more than NDIS will pay you for.
Some people worry that they will be forced to go to specific medical providers if they choose NDIS plan management instead of self-management. That’s not the case. You can choose registered or unregistered providers and have their fees paid with NDIS funds.
The biggest benefit of an NDIS plan manager is that they pay all of your disability-related bills for you. You don’t have to worry about saving receipts or trying to stay on top of everything. Without this worry on your mind, you can focus on staying healthy and living life to the fullest.
NDIS Plan Management vs Support Coordination
Let’s talk for a minute about what a plan manager does not do.
NDIS Plan managers are not disability experts. They will not be able to give advice to you about your disability or be able to help you find medical specialists. For help with medical or disability advice, you should contact NDIS directly for a specialist support coordinator.
Support coordinators will work with your doctors and family to make sure you have the necessary supplies, equipment, and accommodations to have a successful life. Plan managers are focused on the paperwork and monetary aspects of NDIS plans.
There is no reason you cannot ask for both support coordinators and plan managers to be included in your NDIS plan options. It helps to have both of these areas covered by experts.
Moving Forward
Now that you know the benefits of NDIS plan management, it’s time to look into getting this awesome service for yourself. You can contact an NDIS plan manager here.