Speak Out December 2019 V2 DIGITAL EDITION

in practice

Health related disability supports in the NDIS

Please note: Participants can start accessing therapy (including early childhood intervention) and nursing disability-related supports immediately (from 1 October 2019), without a plan review, that is, providers registered for these supports can start delivering supports to these participants immediately. Non- registered providers may also deliver such supports where a participant is self-managing. (Note: where supports are being provided via a plan manager, a participant is considered to have a registered provider). If a NDIS participant already has therapy and disability-related health supports in their plan, they can continue to purchase these supports as usual. If a NDIS participant does not have therapy and/or nursing for disability-related health supports in their plan and they are eligible, they can access these supports as follows: "Participants can use their plan budget flexibly to purchase disability-related therapy and nursing health supports (Note: participants will need to work with their LAC or Service Coordinator to determine which option is available to them). Transitional arrangements are in place to expedite the ability for participants to access disability-related therapy and nursing health supports using NDIS funding without the requirement of a plan review." Traditionally therapy and nursing supports have been purchased through a participant’s capacity building budget. However, participants will have temporary access to claim disability-related therapy and nursing health supports from their core budget.

As a result of negotiation about the NDIS and Health interface, the NDIA has now included a range of health-related disability supports as "reasonable and necessary" for provision by the scheme. Five types of disability-related health supports have been identified in the NDIS Support Catalogue: a. Provision of Disability-Related Health Supports by Disability Support Workers – these supports should be claimed using the standard Daily Personal Activities and High Intensity Daily Personal Activities support items; b. Assessment, planning and the provision of Disability-Related Health Supports by therapists these supports should be claimed using the standard ECEI and Therapy support items; c. Assessment, planning and the provision of Disability-Related Health Supports by nurses – these supports should be claimed using the new nursing support items; d. Consumables related to Disability Related Health Supports – these supports should be claimed using the new Low-Cost or High-Cost Disability Related Health Consumables support line items; and, e. Assistive Technology related to Disability Related Health Supports – these supports should be claimed using the new Disability Related Health Assistive Technology support line items. These supports are considered by the NDIS when they directly relate to: • an NDIS participant’s ongoing functional impairment; • is a regular part of daily life; • is evidenced with supporting information; and, • is most appropriately funded or provided by the NDIS.

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December 2019 www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

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