The NDIA have released the NDIS Price Guide and Support Catalogue for 2019-2020. There are updates relating to price increases, as well as other changes. Most of the updates are an outcome of the Annual Price Review. They are all effective on 1 July 2019.

The updates aim to ensure providers can make a fair return while encouraging delivery of services to the market. The changes will benefit participants, who will have access to the supports they need.

The NDIS Price Guide 2019-20 is now a single national price guide. It is to be used with the NDIS Support Catalogue 2019-20 which contains finer details about what is claimable.

Here are a summary of the key updates:

Price increases across listed supports

• 4.5% for supports listed under Assistance with Daily Activities and Social and Community Participation

• 2.3 % for capacity building supports, including support coordination and therapy

• 1.3% for supports listed under Consumables, Assistive Technology and Home Modification and Specialised Disability Accommodation

Billing arrangements

Non-face-to face activities

Providers can now claim for non-face-to-face direct-care-related activities. The activities can be claimed as hours of support against the relevant support item. The activities are billable if they are part of delivering a disability support item. They do not include general administrative tasks.

Cancellations

A short cancellation/no show now is now defined as:

• Failure to provide two clear business days’ notice for a support/service which is eight hours or less and less than $1,000

• Five clear business days’ notice in all other cases

Providers can claim 90% of the fee associated with the cancellation.

Temporary Transformation Payment (TTP)

Providers of attendant care and community and centre based activities have access to a TPP. This gives these providers access to a higher support price limit. The TPP is a conditional loading. It aims to help providers with any costs incurred during transition to the NDIS. The TPP starts at 7.5 % on the relevant level 1 support item and reduces by 1.5% each year. Providers must be aware of the requirements of this payment as outlined in the Price Guide. Please note Participant Plans will not be automatically increased to account for the TPP.

Travel

Providers can claim more for travel time between appointments. Travel can be claimed for up to 30 minutes in city areas, and 60 minutes in regional areas. Providers of Capacity Building supports are also able to charge for the return back to their workplace.

Support Coordination

Support Coordinators will be able to claim for travel, cancellations and report writing.

Remote and very remote areas

The NDIA have increased the remote and very remote loadings on price limits. The changes were made as a result of the WA market review. The review found that providers were less likely to service remote areas due to the costs. The increases will ensure services are being delivered across all parts of Australia. Remote loadings have increased to 40% and very remote loadings 50%.

Therapy Services

There are now two support levels for therapy assistants. The levels were introduced to provide more flexibility and cost-effective services. Providers can also apply billing arrangements for therapy assistants. These include travel, cancellations and non-face-to-face time.

Assistive Technology (AT)

The Assistive Technology and Consumables Guide has also been updated. Changes include a renaming of ‘Daily Adaptive Equipment’ funding, which was used by some participants to purchase low risk or cost AT. This has been renamed to ‘Low Cost AT.’ There is also a list of items for decommissioning along with suggested replacement items

The NDIS has stressed that if providers increase their charges as a result of these changes, their participants must be in agreement. An increase of charges should also be updated in service agreements. Charges must comply with conditions set out in the Price Guide. For a more detailed breakdown of the changes, look at the Annual Price Review page and the NDIS Price Guide and Support Catalogue 2019-2020.

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