NDIS Pricing

MS Australia is extremely disappointed with the release of the 2024-25 NDIS Pricing Review. 

Together with the broader sector, we are concerned by the decision relating to pricing for therapy supports, support coordination and plan management, including

  • Reducing price limits on physiotherapy, dietetics and podiatry
  • Reducing the rate and cap on travel claims for therapy supports, limiting the total claimable amount for labour time component, to no more than 50% of the applicable therapy
  • Freezing prices for occupational therapy, speech pathology and exercise physiology
  • Freezing prices for level 2 and level 3 support coordination and plan management
  • Stopping the ability for plan managers to claim for the costs of setting up participant plans in the system, and removing remote and very remote loadings

The increasing gap between the cost of delivering NDIS therapy supports and NDIS pricing will have significant impacts on people living with MS and other neurological conditions, including increased disability, hospitalisation and greater reliance on the health system. This will lead to a greater reliance on NDIS supports and the requirement for more comprehensive and costly NDIS plans.

What MS Australia is calling for?

MS Australia is calling for the following action on NDIS pricing:

  • The NDIA to urgently reconsider the impacts of these new pricing arrangements.
  • Introduce a tiered pricing system for therapy supports that recognises the complexity and increased costs of delivering supports to people with complex, chronic and/or neurodegenerative conditions.
  • The establishment of clear independent pricing including releasing the Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority’s (IHACPA) review of NDIS pricing and transferring responsibility for pricing to the IHACPA.
  • A flexible, participant-focused and sustainable pricing model for the NDIS that reflects real costs and encourages innovation and quality service delivery.

NDIS pricing advocacy

Read our response to the release of the 2024-25 Pricing Review

The price is not right! NDIS pricing failure hurts sector and the disability community

Ep59 NDIS pricing review

Episode 59 of the Raw Nerve Podcast explores NDIS Pricing with our CEO Rohan Greenland; Melanie Kiely, CEO of MSW; Dr Rik Dawson. National President, Australian Physiotherapy Association and Magriet Raxworthy CEO, Dietitians Australia

NDIS pricing failure hurts disability community

The Federal Government’s pricing changes to the NDIS will hurt the quality of services for people living with disability and threatens even their availability, warns the Chief Executive Officer of MS Australia, Rohan Greenland.

Allied Health for people living with MS

For people living with MS, access to allied health services and supports are essential to maintaining health and wellbeing and slowing disability progression. These supports are essential to help improve mobility, balance and strength; manage fatigue, maintain independence; improve nutrition, manage bladder and bowel issues and to prevent symptoms from worsening over time.

The changes to NDIS pricing for therapy supports and travel will result in tighter margins for providers and limits the ability to deliver supports in rural and regional locations and into people’s homes.

If people living with MS cannot receive their NDIS Allied Health supports in a meaningful home and community environment, they will decline in all aspects of function and lose independent function at a faster rate. Over time this will put greater pressure on the NDIS and broader disability and health systems.

Our state and territory Member Organisations already fund the existing gap between pricing and real costs and these changes will further impact their services. Consequently, they are reviewing the viability of continuing their Allied Health programs and may be forced to scale back or discontinue them. 

The impact of these changes on our Member Organisations

MS Queenland delivers NDIS services to people living with MS and other neurological conditions across Queensland

The changes to NDIS pricing for therapy supports and travel will have a significant impact on the allied health services delivered by MS Queensland:

  • Impact – the price decrease for physiotherapy services has a severe and tangible impact on MS Queensland  resulting in a reduction in team size and capacity meaning less people are able to be supported.  
  • Regional access –limiting the ability for MS Qld to deliver services in regional areas on the ground meaning less people in regional areas have access to critical and life changing supports.
  • In-home care services – limiting the ability for MS Qld to deliver services via in-home models and will result in people unable to travel to clinic settings miss out on critical supports.

MSWA delivers NDIS services to people living with MS and other neurological conditions across Western Australia

The changes to NDIS pricing for therapy supports and travel will have a significant impact on the allied health services delivered by MSWA including:

  • High-needs clients – participants who experience complex disability and/or those with co-morbidities are better suited to receiving therapy services in their homes. Without adequate funding these services will be cut or limited to those who can access a service centre. This includes people who have communication difficulties, atrophy, PEG support, wheelchairs and limited carer support.
  • Transport – many participants cannot easily access wheelchair accessible transport and/or experience seizures or other disabilities that limit their abilities to travel safely to a service centre. A reduction in home services mean these participants will miss out on crucial supports.
  • Distance – many people in WA live more than 30 minutes from a MSWA service centre but do not meet the NDIS criteria for remote travel time of up to 60 minutes. The reduction in travel costs will make it difficult to reach these clients and deliver services in their home.

Support coordination and plan management

Support coordination and plan management are important components of the NDIS and provide participants with crucial support in coordinating supports and services and managing their plan.

The lack of price increase for these services for the last five years has had a serious impact on the viability of our Member Organisations’ NDIS services. This price freeze is further exacerbated by the CPI Wage increases for disability workers.

The delivery of support coordination and plan management is a loss-making service with our Member Organisations delivering a substantial number of unfunded hours already. This is not sustainable, and the continued freeze will result in a reduction or ceasing of services with significant impacts as outlined below:

The importance of support coordination

A reduction in support coordination services will have a range of impacts for people living with MS including:

  • Difficulty Navigating the System: The NDIS is complex. Without support coordination, participants would struggle to understand their funding, their plan, and how to connect with suitable service providers. This can lead to participants missing out on vital supports.
  • Reduced Access to Specialist Services: People with MS and other neurological conditions often require a mix of therapies (e.g., physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, behaviour support). Without a Support Coordinator helping to identify and link them with these providers, participants may face delays or gaps in accessing appropriate care.
  • Risk of Social Isolation and Declining Health: MS and other neurological conditions often affect mobility, communication, and cognition. Without help coordinating community participation and engagement supports, participants risk becoming socially isolated, which can further worsen mental and physical health.
  • Increased Carer Stress: Families and informal carers may feel overwhelmed if they have to take on the role of plan coordination themselves, especially when also managing the participant’s day-to-day care needs.
  • Poorer Plan Outcomes: Without professional coordination, participants are less likely to achieve their NDIS goals, whether related to independence, health, community engagement, or employment.

Overall, lack of support coordination can lead to service gaps, stress, health decline, and reduced quality of life for people with neurological conditions.

Disability sector advocacy initiatives

Stand Up for Disability Support: Stop the NDIS Cuts

The Australian Physiotherapy Association, Dietitians Australia, Australian Podiatry Association, Australian Psychological Society, Australian Association of Social Workers and Behaviour Supports Practitioners Australia, among many other peak industry bodies and professionals, are calling on the federal government to review the NDIS pricing recommendations, which threaten essential supports and choice for people with disability. 

Disability workforce reform

National Disability Services, in collaboration with Ability First Australia and Alliance 20, has launched a Shared Industry Statement on Disability Workforce Reform. 

“For a strong and sustainable workforce, it sets out our high-level position on three of the most urgent areas for reform: better pay and conditions, career progression and training pathways, and award simplification. 

The most pressing need is NDIS pricing reform. NDIS pricing represents the value which government places on wages, conditions and quality in the sector. The most recent Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits does not adequately support a successful NDIS.”

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NDIS Pricing