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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
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.
MS Australia is calling for the following action on NDIS pricing:
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.
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 changes to NDIS pricing for therapy supports and travel will have a significant impact on the allied health services delivered by MS Queensland:
The changes to NDIS pricing for therapy supports and travel will have a significant impact on the allied health services delivered by MSWA including:
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:
A reduction in support coordination services will have a range of impacts for people living with MS including:
Overall, lack of support coordination can lead to service gaps, stress, health decline, and reduced quality of life for people with neurological conditions.
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.
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.”
