What is NDIS?


The National Disability Insurance Scheme is an insurance support scheme of the Australian Government that funds cost associated with disability. It provides support to people (65 years old and below) with a permanent and significant disability, their families and carers. It is jointly governed and funded by the Australian and participating states and territory governments.


What does the NDIS pay for? 


The NDIS can help pay support funding for individuals based on their needs, including daily personal activities, transport and mobility (such as wheelchairs), access to work and education, household tasks, home and vehicle modifications and therapeutic support.


Support may be related to education, employment, social participation, independence, living arrangements, and health and wellbeing. Funding may help participants to:


  • have assistance with personal care (for example, getting in and out of bed, showering, and household activities)

  • get different kinds of services and therapies (for example, physiotherapy, speech therapy, social therapy, or occupational therapy)

  • receive support for personal care (for example, household chores, or managing money)

  • get aids and equipment they need (for example, wheelchairs or hearing aids)

  • be more independent (for example, live on their own or in a share-house, or learn how to cook, grocery shop, or drive) participate in the community (for example, get a job, or use transport)


What is an NDIS Participant?


A person with permanent and significant disability that NDIS provides the necessary funding to access the support and services they need to live and enjoy their life


What is an NDIS Provider?


Providers are one of the main contact points for NDIS participants. They are an important part of the NDIS, delivering support and services that help participants achieve their goals. Providers can be registered with the NDIS or unregistered.


What is an NDIS Plan?


Basically, an NDIS plan outlines an NDIS Participant’s goals, aspirations and support they require (including any funding they might receive). Every NDIS participant must be in a plan.


There are five options for managing an NDIS funding support plan:


  • Self-management

  • Using a registered Plan Management provider

  • Getting the NDIA to manage the plan

  • Requesting automated payments (transport only)

  • Using a combination of the above



Benefits of being a registered provider


  • connecting to a wide range of participants.

  • being part of a vibrant, innovative and competitive marketplace

  • marketing your services as being a registered provider

  • extending your online presence through the NDIS Provider Finder tool in the myplace provider portal

  • accessing online business systems through the myplace provider portal, including tools to manage your service bookings and fast payment processing

  • accessing updates and information from the NDIS about the business system and process changes, including tools and resources that you can use to train your staff.


What’s the difference between an NDIS registered and an unregistered provider?


For NDIS participants, the main difference is that you can only access unregistered providers if your NDIS plan is Plan Managed or Self Managed. Whereas if you are NDIA Managed, your options are restricted and you can only access NDIS registered providers.


Why wouldn’t service providers become NDIS registered?


The registration process takes time, money and effort - three things that many smaller providers don’t have a lot of.


As a result, a lot of smaller service providers chose not to register with the NDIS.



Why would an NDIS participant use an unregistered NDIS provider


  • Despite not being NDIS registered, many of these providers are highly skilled, passionate and dedicated to making life better for people with a disability.


  • But unlike providers that are registered with the NDIS, unregistered providers do not have to adhere to the quality and safeguards requirements of the NDIS Commission. They do not need to conduct audits to show they are compliant with these requirements. So when it comes to unregistered providers, it is entirely up to you to determine their quality and safety. If you’re in doubt, always ask for certificates or any other proof of qualification.   

  •  There are many unregistered providers. These are often small organisations or sole traders, but some larger organisations are not registered either. Using these providers gives you access to a much larger network and helps you find the right NDIS provider for your needs.

  • If you’ve been with a service provider before transitioning to the NDIS, they may not be registered. If you want to keep receiving them support you’re used to, you’ll need to use unregistered providers.


How can Ramp Champ help NDIS Participants?


Two ways 

  • If you Self Manage your NDIS plan, unregistered providers will send their invoices to you to pay and you will then have to manually claim the funds back from the NDIS using the NDIS portal

  • If you're Plan Managed, your Plan Manager does this for you.




























References

https://www.ndis.gov.au/ https://www.carersaustralia.com.au/ndis-carers/the-ndis-process/

https://reimagine.today/plan-with-the-ndis/what-is-an-ndis-plan; https://planpartners.com.au/