The NDIA’s national rollout of their new computer system for interacting with providers and participants is due for release at the end of the month, almost a year after the pilot began in Tasmania from November 2022.
There’s been no shortage of unease; after all, changing IT systems is rarely a straightforward endeavour and the Tasmania pilot has hardly been error-free. Nonetheless, it’s also true that PACE is likely to bring some much-needed administrative relief to providers through the removal of service bookings.
Claims without Service Bookings
Registered providers will no longer be required to establish a service booking to draw down on Agency managed funding. Instead, the relationship with the participant is established using the “My Providers” function. Providers who are endorsed in this way will have payments fast-tracked, and claims made by non-endorsed providers will be manually verified with the participant for up to 10 days before payment is released.
Participants can endorse providers in advance through their NDIS contact or the National Contact Centre, or by responding to the NDIA when a claim is made by a non-endorsed provider. In dealings with the Agency, we have heard that functionality is planned to allow providers to nominate a participant through their own portal, which will be a welcome update. Please note this is not yet released, and subject to change.
We would encourage providers to take the time and opportunity to explore the new PACE system which can be found here: My providers | NDIS Improvements
I’m not a registered provider, does this change anything for me?
The short answer is, no. Plan managers are the endorsed provider in the claim process, so the NDIA does not need individual providers to be approved on the participant’s file.
During the ongoing pilot, we have seen some slight changes to the way the PACE platform responds to payment requests we submit. While we strive for fast payments, it is possible that the new system will create delays or discrepancies outside of our control. Should this happen, we will maintain contact with any affected providers and participants.
Category Changes
Some support categories have been refreshed or renamed, others have been split, and others are brand new.
To minimise disruption, you will still:
Use the same support item codes and descriptions; and
Abide by the same rules stipulated by the Pricing Arrangements such as maximum capped rates.
The key changes relate to new requirements for categories where providers must be endorsed. These are:
Home and Living including;
Supported Independent Living (SIL)
Medium Term Accommodation (MTA)
Independent Living Options (ILO)
Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Behaviour Support Therapies
Younger people in residential aged care (YPIRAC)
The NDIA have indicated that there may be changes in endorsed requirements of these categories. If you are supporting a participant in any of these categories and are not registered, we recommend contacting the NDIS for advice before the national rollout and discussing support options with the participant as early as possible.
There are other new categories which you can review further information about to ensure that the services your business provides do not run into any obstacles or surprises. Check out the NDIA’s dedicated page here: Support catalogue | NDIS Improvements
Written by Josh Sigley & Nicole Sedgwick