NDIS Update – 16/12/2024: Independent Review of Art & Music Therapy, New Impairment Notices, and $40 Million in Peer Support Grants
The NDIA has announced an Independent Review of NDIS pricing for art and music therapy, which will assess three key areas:
- The effectiveness of art and music therapy for people with disability
- The qualifications and registration of music and art practitioners
- The pricing of these supports.
Dr. Stephen Duckett AM, a highly experienced health economist, will lead the review. The findings are expected in March 2025, and until then, current arrangements will remain unchanged. Providers can continue to charge up to $193.99 per hour for evidence-based therapy. No changes will be made to the status of art and music therapy as therapeutic supports or their pricing until the review is complete. The release of operational guidance, including updates to the therapy supports and price guides, has been deferred until 2025. For more information on the review and its terms of reference, please visit the NDIS website.
In addition, starting in January 2025, the NDIS will introduce a Notice of Impairments for new participants, which will provide clarity on the impairment categories that qualify them for access to the scheme. This Notice will be separate from the access decision letter, and while it will not alter the eligibility criteria for NDIS access, it will help improve transparency and fairness in the planning and budgeting process. This change responds to the NDIS Review and requests from participants for clearer documentation regarding their eligibility. Existing participants are not impacted immediately but will be informed as the new approach is rolled out in late 2025. Next week, the NDIA will publish updated operational guidelines to support new participants with this change, along with updates to the Frequently Asked Questions on the NDIS website.
Furthermore, the NDIA has awarded almost $40 million in grants to support community-based peer and capacity-building programs, benefiting 69 successful applicants over the next two years. These programs range from local to national and online initiatives, and the funding will support a variety of innovative programs.
NDIS Update – 03/12/2024: The NDIS Answers BCA’s Questions
Blind Citizens Australia recently received clarification from the NDIS/NDIA on several key matters. The documents below provide official updates regarding recent changes to NDIS policies and supports.
These clarifications include information on a new system designed to better inform National Contact Centre staff, guidelines for replacement supports, and clearer criteria for funding items like tandem bikes, household maintenance, and assistance dogs. It also distinguishes between services eligible for funding, such as personal hygiene care (nail care, hair washing), and those that are not (beauty treatments, pet insurance).
Additional clarifications include the funding of meal delivery, daily consumables, assistive technology, and transport services for participants with vision impairments. The NDIS continues to fund supports directly related to a participant’s disability and designed to enhance their quality of life, with strict guidelines in place to ensure claims meet necessary criteria.
Participants no longer need a specific diagnosis, like “vision impairment,” to access vision supports, as long as they meet disability or early intervention criteria. The NDIS will fund vision supports based on impairments, even if the plan does not explicitly mention vision loss.
The NDIS will issue impairment notices starting January 2025 for new participants and later for existing ones, categorising impairments into six areas. Multiple impairments can impact eligibility, and combined impairments may meet disability requirements even if neither condition alone qualifies.
Other clarifications include processes for replacement supports, eligibility for assistive technology, transport, and household maintenance, as well as guidelines for meal delivery and assistance animals. These updates aim to provide more flexibility and ensure funding meets participants’ needs.
Blind Citizens Australia – Responses from NDIS/NDIA (Word doc)
Blind Citizens Australia – Responses from NDIS/NDIA (PDF)
Responses to The Orthoptic role in NDIS and the impact of changes to NDIS (Word doc)
Responses to The Orthoptic role in NDIS and the impact of changes to NDIS (PDF)