Learn How to Properly Manage Your NDIS Plan

The National Disability Insurance Scheme aims to bring community, government, and industry together in order to address all the challenges that people with disability are facing. Its goal is to make sure individuals living with disability are supported by services such as health, education, transport, and the wider community. Once you join the NDIS, your plan will be created. However, this plan might seem too complicated and overwhelming when you are just starting out. Here are all the ways you can manage your NDIS plan.

Self-managing your plan

Opting for self-management lets you find the best way to use your funds in order to meet your needs. The NDIS will provide you with the money for your support but you will have to follow their purchase guide. In case you are not sure where and how to start, don’t worry. If you know someone who is self-managing their plan, you can ask them about their experience. You should also meet with an NDIA planner or your Local Area Coordinator (LAC) as they can give you all the information you need. You can also turn to the NDIS provider toolkit as it was created to help individuals and organizations to learn more about this topic.

There are many benefits to self-managing your plan. This option gives you the freedom to choose your own supports, who will provide them and how they will be delivered. You are also allowed to choose your provider, no matter whether they are registered with the NDIS or not.

On the other hand, you will have some responsibilities as a self-manager. You will be in charge of your funding so you must manage it so that it meets your budget. Make sure you keep all receipts and invoices, as you must be able to show how you’ve used your funding. You are obliged to participate in any payment auditing. Keep in mind that you need to open a special NDIS bank account. When it comes to paying, you can either pay out of your own pocket and then claim reimbursement from the NDIS, or ask your provider for an invoice and claim the money on the NDIS portal.

Consider your record keeping and financial management skills; they are crucial for keeping up with this task. If you think that you will not remember to pay your bills on time and keep all receipts and paperwork organized, you might want to consider other options as well.

Plan-managed

In case you like all the benefits of self-management but are not that confident in your organizational skills, you can get a professional to help you. You still get to choose your provider and all the supports, but you don’t have to deal with all the financial complexities. Think of it as having an accountant; you make the decisions, a registered plan management provider takes care of the administrative part. Moreover, all fees involved will be covered by the NDIS.

You should meet with your plan manager and talk about your plan. Decide whether you want them to look after all or just some of your support. They will help you organize and pay your invoices. Moreover, they can teach you new skills, so that you can overlook your NDIS plan on your own in the future.

By going on the NDIS website, you can look up plan managers in your area. Seeing as how there are many of them, you should do some research before you opt for one. Enquire about their turnaround time as some providers might be frustrated if your payments are late.

Agency-managed

This, most popular, option means that the NDIA will manage your plan’s funding. Most people usually use this approach at the beginning before they become more used to the system. This is also mostly used by people who don’t have time to deal with finances.

The biggest difference when it comes to this type of management is that you can only use service providers that are registered with the NDIS. The NDIA makes sure that all invoices are paid on time and they keep records of the payments. You have no financial accountability if you choose this option.

A combination

There is also a fourth option. You can combine some of the previously mentioned types to create a package that suits you best. This allows you to control certain aspects of your plan while someone else sorts out the rest of it. In case you want a service that is not registered with the NDIS, this option is quite handy.

If you decide to choose this option, you should be clear about the supports you want to manage. Once you opt for them, you should pay your invoices regularly, make claims so that you get reimbursed, and keep records of your payments.

Keep in mind that, no matter which option you go for, you can always change your mind. Call the NDIS and tell them what you want to be changed. As you can see, managing your NDIS plan is not at all difficult as long as you choose the right approach.