How Tech Better Enables NDIS Self-Management

For NDIS participants, there are many ways to manage the services they access. Increasingly, self-management is giving participants much greater control over how, where and when their NDIS funds get spent.

What does this mean for NDIS service providers? It means they’ll need to come along the journey and ensure the way they engage with NDIS participants is up to scratch. So, when considering how providers engage with participants, there are a few important considerations which are increasingly important to participants. Here are four key things participants are looking for, and how technology can enable better self-management for care providers.

Freedom to choose in a safe space

Choice is a key benefit of self-management, but it’s not without its risks. While participants can choose whether they use NDIS approved suppliers they can also use suppliers not part of the scheme. This has its own challenges – non-NDIS providers are free to charge their own rates outside of the NDIS guidelines. Which is ok, but means the participant needs to be very informed around their choices to ensure they are getting value for their investment.

Technology platforms which connect approved providers and participants can alleviate many of these issues. Industry leaders such as Moira and Mable, provide a selection of pre-approved providers to choose from who operate within NDIS guidelines. For self-managed participants, this gives them access to the choice they need, with reduced effort and increased confidence.

Easier budget control

Selecting and managing providers inside and beyond the NDIS scheme gives less control over the price a participant will pay for services. Which is where technology can come into play.

Technology platforms which connect providers, plan managers, and participants provide a transparent and structured environment of agreed rates, fees and other charges. Typically, an NDIS approved service provider will offer pricing within NDIS guidelines, so having this visibility enables a self-managed participant to make decisions in the context of a clear view of their overall budget.

Tracking progress against the plan

The flow on effects of technology enabling budget control are real-time visibility down to the last dollar on a participants budget. A sound technology platform like Moira, provides participants with a single dashboard view of spend, remaining budget, upcoming appointments and general tracking against their plan.

Cash flow management and Secure payments

One of the pitfalls of self-management is cashflow, not for the provider but for the participant. If a participant chooses to self-manage on their own, they’ll need to carefully manage their budget as they’ll need to pay for suppliers themselves first, before receiving a reimbursement from the NDIS after the service is completed and reimbursement submitted.

Technology platforms enable safe and secure payment environments by handling all of the transactions themselves, acting as the intermediary between the NDIS and the participant. For participants, this means they no longer have to manage their own personal cash flow and wait for reimbursements, and for the service providers, they’ll receive prompt payment.

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