A Guide to Understanding your NDIS Plan

The NDIA has finally issued their Guide to Plan Management after much anticipation. Since the creation of NDIS Plan Management services in Melbourne, there has been a dearth of comprehensive information and a variety of interpretations of their functions. As a result, there is a lot of uncertainty about how much control a plan manager should have over the NDIS plan financing of a participant.

What was known previously regarding Plan managers?

According to the NDIS Act, all PMPs must be registered. As long as they follow the NDIS price guide, both non-registered and registered providers can offer services and assistance to NDIS participants who are under plan management.

● Participants should be contacted by PMPs in the manner that fits them best.

● A participant may opt to have a PMP handle all or a portion of their plan.

● These services' expenses are deducted from a participant's plan as separate expenses.

What A Plan Manager Can Expect?

The third section of the manual explains the value of the plan manager assisting and guiding the participant while they collaborate. Denying a participant access to a service or deciding whether the supports or services purchased are "reasonable and necessary" are NOT within the purview of a plan manager.

The plan manager should make sure the funds are spent in line with a participant's plan and as intended after they are implemented after being accepted as reasonable and necessary during the planning stage.

Payments

Additionally, it has been made clear that improper or fraudulent use of money is a severe issue, and the plan manager would be responsible for repaying any monies that were not utilised in accordance with a participant's plan. It is obvious that this might become a source of dispute in the future. The plan manager may still be required to cover these funds if participants are still able to request reimbursements for services, but their ability to do so is limited.

This serves as a good reminder of the significance of the establishment meeting and continuing support, during which the plan manager must express the precise purpose and planned location of the plan's money.

Tasks Not Covered By Plan Management

The book also describes what falls outside of a Plan Manager's remit in an effort to make clear the functions of a Plan Manager. A plan manager is not a partner in early childhood early intervention (ECEI), a support coordinator, or a local area coordinator, according to NDIA. This indicates that, despite being in charge of all financial tasks, a plan manager will not:

● Connect, coordinate, or plan the provision of a participant's services by other providers.

● Organize your calendar or appointments

● provide advocacy services pertaining to disabilities.

● Select the supports that a participant may or may not access, or, to put it another way, select the reasonable and essential funds for a participant's plan.

Meeting To Establish

Although the majority of plan managers currently adhere to these rules due to the formalisation of the setup process, it appears that certain PMPs will handle this activity differently. The providers must retain a record of these meetings and reflect this procedure in the Service Agreement. The meetings must be in person, over the phone, or by another online interaction.

The establishing meeting's objectives are to:

● Describe the extent of the tasks and obligations of each party.

● Recognize the participant's aims and supports.

● Make sure they use the participant's chosen way of communication while communicating.

● processing payment requests with your assistance

It should be noted that current plan managers are not needed to redo current service agreements if they were not previously included, but future engagements must incorporate this procedure.

In order to ensure that "participant and plan management provider have the same expectations of what support will be offered and how it will be delivered," a service agreement was produced after the setup meeting.

What if the plan managers are replaced in the middle of it?

Surprisingly, the first formation fee is not accessible to new Plan Managers if a member decides to switch Plan Managers in the middle of the plan. Nevertheless, it is certain that the new Plan Manager will still be required to define the objectives, results, and activities targeted for participant plan funding.

Rules For Planning Management

The guide's pages 11–18 list the precise duties that a plan manager must perform. However, a new introduction to the guide explores the fundamentals of plan management and covers the behaviours that should be expected when providing plan management services.

Evolution Of Plan Managers

A participant may choose to switch plan management companies at any time while enrolled in an NDIS plan. A participant and provider should decide on an expiration date at which point the PMP will stop offering its services.

The instruction then confirms how the switch in plan managers should be handled in terms of processing invoices.

Conclusion

We anticipate that this guide will help participants regain control over their financial decisions and a better understanding of what to anticipate from their Plan Manager. Additionally, we anticipate that Plan Managers will evaluate and enhance the manner in which they intend to provide their services.