The 2022-2023 Annual Pricing Review (APR) Consultation Paper has been released. This paper is part of a broader goal of the NDIA to support markets to grow and meet supply demands, while promoting innovation and delivering consistent participant outcomes.
Family members play a significant role in the NDIS, as advocates and negotiators for their loved one’s care, and as a spotlight to share their lived experiences. OC Connections encourages participants to feel empowered and confident in their choices, and we encourage our community to use their voice to improve the disability sector.
The NDIA is seeking feedback from anyone who can provide valuable insight into current NDIS pricing and the impact of changes made in the last year.
In 2022, price limits increased by 9% with a focus on boosting disability worker’s wages, initiating a flow-on effect of improved care for participants. This year, the APR is requesting feedback that provides insight into the following areas.
NDIS Disability Support Worker (DSW) Cost Model
The NDIS DSW Cost Model determines price limits for activities that fall under the Activity of Daily Life and Assistance with Social and Community Participation support. With the last APR price limit increase of 9%, and the aim to simplify the Cost Model, the NDIA seeks feedback on the impact of the changes to participants.
Therapy Supports
Around half of the NDIS’s active participants used their funding for therapy supports in December 2022. This has increased by almost 20% from the year before.
The APR hopes to provide more clarity on the types of therapists who can claim with the NDIS, highlighting the criteria for each therapist type. To assist with its review, the NDIA is seeking feedback on therapy support price limits and the impact on shortages of therapists.
Support Coordination
The NDIA aims to establish clearer roles, responsibilities and functions of support coordinators, however this will be part of the NDIS Review, not the APR. The APR will tackle price limits specifically, based on the reporting that support coordination plan usage has increased by almost 50% in the last 2 years.
Plan Management
The use of a Plan Manager has been rapidly increasing over the years with the NDIA reporting that 58% of participants use a plan manager. With new plan managers entering the market, and current plan managers taking on new participants, the NDIA seeks to review their functions and responsibilities to ensure their monthly fee accurately represents the different tasks that they perform.
The APR Consultation Paper details the kinds of questions the NDIA is asking and the insight it’s seeking. It also identifies the difference between the APR and other concurrent reviews of the NDIS, including the NDIS Review and the Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) Pricing Review.
The Consultation Paper is a guide to assist you in submitting your feedback. Click here to take you to the NDIS website where you can download the Consultation Paper.
Submissions close at 11.59pm on Thursday the 13th of April 2023. To submit, please send your response to apr@ndis.gov.au.
