Whether you’ve just been granted National Disability Insurance Scheme funding or you’re looking to implement changes that will improve your quality of life, an NDIS Plan Manager is one of the most important contacts you could have.
However, it will be difficult to find the right NDIS Plan Manager unless you know what they actually do. This blog post will provide the answers you need.
What is NDIS plan management?
Before searching for an NDIS plan manager, it is necessary to know how plan management works.
Firstly, the NDIS program supports over 500,000 Australians in gaining access to the services and support that they need to lead a better life. Having completed the application and been accepted as a participant, you will be given funding for the services you need. The level of funding you receive is determined by the government assessors and Local Area Coordinator (LAC).
Funds can be used for education, employment, social participation, independence, living arrangements or health and well-being. Either way, NDIS funds need to be managed. The three options are;
- Self-managed: you are in charge.
- NDIS managed: an NDIS worker takes control but there are restrictions on how funds can be allocated.
- Plan managed: a professional third-party service will manage your NDIS accounts.
NDS plan management sees the NDIS pay the third-party NDIS manager to support you with your funds. NDIS Plan Managers essentially take care of your funding to support you through this testing time. This covers all administrative tasks, including handling money coming into the NDIS funding account as well as the funds leaving it.
Only a company that is accepted by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) can fulfil this role. Thousands of candidates take this route while many others are now discovering that it is the right choice for them.
Plan Manager Roles & Responsibilities
An NDIS Plan Manager is a registered expert who can represent candidates at any level of NDIS funding. Ultimately, their role can be likened to that of a personal accountant specialising in the field of disability care.
The role of an NDIS Plan Manager largely revolves around showing due diligence to ensure that an individual’s NDIS funding is used efficiently without bringing stress into the person’s life. The varied list of tasks that they may provide includes, but is not limited to;
- Making claims for the participant from the NDIS portal.
- Supporting the NDIS participants with their budgeting.
- Ensuring that NDIS funding is allocated to help the participant gain the maximum benefit.
- Receiving invoices from the participant or the provider.
- Checking that invoices sent from service providers comply with NDIS requirements.
- Coordinating invoices to ensure care providers are paid on time.
- Completing monthly reports and spending breakdowns to promote sustained success.
While an NDIS Plan Manager will complete a lot of work during the early stages of establishing a NDIS plan on behalf of the participant, their ongoing support is very valuable. Aside from ensuring smooth payments to services providers, a dedicated NDIS Plan Manager continually investigates whether funding could be better spent elsewhere.
Benefits of having a plan manager
Whether considering an NDIS Plan Manager as a new participant or changing your NDIS Plan Manager due to poor performance or because you’re unhappy with an NDIS managed solution, there are many benefits to be gained from having an experienced and qualified BAS agent on your side.
Some of the most telling features of this plan management style are;
- The NDIS program will increase your funding to cover the costs of the NDIS Plan Manager, meaning it does not reduce the financial support for care services.
- When using a plan manager, you can subsequently use the funds to pay any service provider.
- You still retain complete control of your NDIS funding, which includes the ability to approve individual payments to providers.
- The NDIS Plan Manager takes care of budgeting, record keeping and paperwork while you still see the chief benefits of a self-managed plan.
- All billing issues will be left to the NDIS Plan Manager while also removing the need for auditing. No separate bank accounts are needed either.
There are no additional costs for setting up this type of NDIS plan management strategy. As such, it is a convenient solution that allows you to spend less time worrying about admin and more time focusing on the care you deserve.
The final word
Not everyone on the NDIS program will choose a managed plan, but it is ultimately an option that combines the best features of the other two options while simultaneously offering additional rewards. For most NDIS applicants, then, it is the best route by far – but only when the right Plan Manager is selected.
Here at Symmetrii, our NDIS Plan Managers have a track record of helping NDIS service users like you with comprehensive and convenient management. To find out more about how we can support you, get in touch today!