The world is a magical place, and your local community is rich with ideas, supports and potential connections for you to explore. That’s why the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) has developed its Community Connections service – and you don’t have to be a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participant to benefit! Delivered by Local Area Coordinators (LACs), Community Connections can link people with disability aged nine and older with mainstream and community supports. Remember, for children aged up to eight, there’s the NDIS Early Childhood Approach – and part of that is Ea ..read more

The right expertise can achieve better outcomes. That’s why, at tax time, you may see an accountant to gain a better tax return. And if you’re selling your house, you’ll probably think about engaging a real estate agent to help you fetch a higher price. So when you’re looking for work, why wouldn’t you get an expert involved? A good Disability Employment Service (DES) provider will understand how to get a higher return from a competitive job market. They support people with disability to prepare for employment, find a job and work towards succeeding in their chosen path. The most recent Nation ..read more

Most people know the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) funds services like support work and allied health therapies, but did you know it can also cover the cost of assistive technologies and other products that make life just that little bit simpler? Known as ‘consumables’, these items help people to manage their disability-related needs – and they can include anything from specialised clothing and equipment for eating and drinking, to non-slip bathmats, sensory products, and writing aids. ‘Consumables’ is also the name of a category of NDIS funding that a large number of participant ..read more

A good support coordinator is worth their weight in gold for National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants and their loved ones. Knowledgeable, well connected and informed, support coordinators are go-to sources of information, especially when it comes to finding providers, supports and services. And although support coordinators can’t recommend specific providers to their clients, they can and do provide participants with lists of providers they like, trust and know to be working well with others in the Scheme. So how do you get on that all-important list? We went straight to the s ..read more

Cancellations are common in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), so having a robust policy in place – one that sets out in writing what a client can expect if they or you cancel a service – is vital. Documenting your business’ approach means everyone is on the same page about what happens if appointments or bookings are cancelled or rescheduled, and it encourages clients and providers to respect each other’s time too. With cashflow top of mind for every business, policies that protect you financially are essential, but the importance factor is even higher in the world of the NDIS ..read more

When you’re a person with disability, it’s more than likely you have a whole host of professionals in your life. Allied health staff, disability support workers, support coordinators… and plan managers, like us! Together, there should be strong working relationships. But the reality is that pretty much every relationship – personal and professional – will have a bump or two in the road along the way. While you’re working with professionals, we’re all human, everyone makes mistakes, and sometimes we can miss the mark. At times like these, you may need to speak up. It’s rare to find someone who ..read more

Are you run ragged on the appointment treadmill and exhausted from juggling your diary to fit in with your child’s seemingly endless schedule of therapy sessions? Do ever feel like you just want to jump off and rest? If you’re managing a schedule of supports for your child, you probably already know how swiftly those appointments can take over your days – and leave little time for everything else! It’s easy to think you need to pack the week with sessions designed to support your child’s development – and spend their hard-fought-for National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) funding before th ..read more

At My Plan Manager, we work with a lot of providers, and we process thousands of invoices from across Australia every week. That means we see what works – and what causes delays – when it comes to invoicing for services and supports funded by the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Want to get paid as quickly as possible? To help you comply with the National Disability Insurance Agency’s (NDIA) requirements and get paid swiftly, we’ve pulled together a list of our top tips for invoicing. Here are some things you can do to get money in your bank faster. Let’s go! #1. Understand what’s ..read more

Are you a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participant? Have you ever been given a quote for a disability product or service and wondered if the pricing is higher, simply because you’re funded for the support you’re after? If you have, you’re not alone. In the NDIS, inflated pricing is sometimes called ‘price differentiation’ or a ‘twin pricing regime’. It occurs when a provider charges a participant more than they’d charge a person who’s not in the Scheme. An example of this is when a basic model aluminium shower chair has two price tags: $600 for NDIS participants and $150 for eve ..read more

Are you wanting more value from your National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) budget? Or perhaps you live in a community where it’s difficult to access good, local providers at a fair price? If either – or both – of these sound familiar, we’ve got some news that might help you out. The NDIS recently introduced Coordinated Funding Proposals (CFP) to help participants get better bang for their NDIS buck, exercise the purchasing power of a group, or attract specialist providers to underserviced communities. Like most participants in the NDIS, you no doubt want maximum value from your budget so ..read more