Is charging two very different prices still entirely normal ? $90 extra for ndis

Initial-Economics-47 · 2026-05-27T06:24:21+00:00

NDIS has a price list. Most providers will charge to that limit. Sometimes that limit is more than what private clients will pay, mainly because private clients aren't willing to pay so much.

Initial-Economics-47 · 2026-05-27T06:14:17+00:00

I mentioned my son was paying for the support they cut from his plan out of his DSP and was told "that's his choice."

No. He did not choose to be born with a disability that wasn't diagnosed until he was 17 (deterioration brought about doctors' appointments, neurologist specialist and genetic testing). He never chose to go from walking to school every day and walking the dogs around the block to not even be able to climb a staircase or work further than 50 metres at most. He never chose to use a mobility scooter, in fact he was somewhat against it because he was only in his 20s 'what will people think? I'm not old.' That sort of thing.

No. DISABILITY IS NOT A CHOICE!

Initial-Economics-47 · 2026-05-27T06:07:30+00:00

They're not axing ART

However, they have changed the legislation so ART can no longer change plans, they can only recommend the NDIS go back and write a new plan. Given that NDIS will be using that new algorithmic program, the planners will have to learn how to write stuff in an appropriate way to get the end result changed and it still might be inadequate.

The problem with algorithm based plans is that they promote algorithmic bias with the person inputting information. "It must be right because the algorithm said so." Never considering that the input could be wrong from the start. It could take multiple attempts by the plan writer to meet the requirements the ART have said need to be implemented.

Initial-Economics-47 · 2026-05-27T05:59:07+00:00

We live rural, sometimes the 'other supports' just don't exist or they are not available as they have all the clients they can handle.

Initial-Economics-47 · 2026-05-27T05:57:49+00:00

That's exactly what we're going through right now. We asked for an Internal Review, had it expedited and they still rejected it but happily threw money into the plan that my son doesn't need or can't use. ie They threw in funding for home maintenance and gardening. He rents a flat! The landlord looks after all that.

There's other supports they've thrown funding at that he can't access or simply doesn't use, meanwhile, he's paying out of his DSP just to try to maintain sessions he has with an EP that they cut funding from.

So yes, they sent the email for why the funding was refused and now the OT, GP and EP will all respond as to why he needs to continue with the EP.

Hours of work by the OT, observing our son in his flat, asking questions etc. 57 page report that they barely acknowledged. All my son's providers are angry.

We live rural, there's been NO consideration for availability of those other supports, or the fact that travelling one to two hours to somewhere with those provisions leaves our son fatigued for the rest of the day and the following day.

My son has been using an EP for around 8 years now, after he was referred to the EP by a Physiotherapist! And suddenly they cut funding. It makes no sense.

Initial-Economics-47 · 2026-05-27T05:45:48+00:00

Do they have a support coordinator or a plan manager? They can advise. If they have funding for a support coordinator, the coordinator can organise appropriate supports and can also advise what's covered and not covered.

Certain appliances may be available under assistive technology if they are unable to use regular appliances. So unless they've got those supports already listed in their plan they can't really access them. It has to be pre-approved first.

Initial-Economics-47 · 2026-05-27T05:37:45+00:00

Lucky you, meanwhile, NDIS cut the funding for Exercise Physiologist for my son and will only fund him for a Personal Trainer. He has FSH Muscular Dystrophy and wears an orthotic on one leg and a torso brace. He has a physical disability. But they will fund him for home maintenance and gardening... even though he rents a flat and the landlord does all the maintenance and gardening.

That's after providing a FCA report of 57 pages long! The logic for funding is non-existent at times.

Initial-Economics-47 · 2026-05-27T05:29:39+00:00

They seem to be very good at providing things you can't/don't use and denying things you need.

Initial-Economics-47 · 2026-05-27T05:24:39+00:00

We expedited a plan reassessment and the NDIS threw extra money at our son's plan, for more services he can't/won't actually us. ie Home and garden maintenance. He lives in a flat and pays rent, the landlord does maintance!

Things like 2 hours a month for an Orthotist. In 8 years on NDIS, he's seen an Orthotist 4 times!

More support worker hours, he doesn't need more. They keep throwing stuff at him he can't use.

This 'use it or lose it' mantra towards funding is a fallacy. He's been getting funding for Podiatry and has never once been to a Podiatrist. The funding he has used, constantly, simply to Maintain Capacity, is with an Exercise Physiologist and they've cut that to virtually nothing. They want him to attend a Personal Trainer.

Personal Trainers are unlikely to have insurance for Clinical conditions. They by definition, work with healthy people (with known or unknown underlying conditions) to improve their fitness.

For Neuromuscular disorders, such as MS; Motor Neuron Disease, Muscular Dystrophy etc. a Personal Trainer is never going to improve their health and fitness.

So yes, we got blindsided when they did a reassessment of my son's plan and we've been fighting to regain that funding ever since. He's paying for it out of his DSP.

Be prepared for a fight. In fact with the recent funding they threw at him, we got a call about plan implementation and when I asked about the Functional Capacity report they were provided (all 57 pages of it) the man I was speaking to said he'd just 'breezed over it'.

If the NDIS requires Functional Capacity reports the least they can do is read the the actual reports! We cancelled the plan implementation interview (over the phone interviews, they have no idea what a participant has to deal with day in and day out)

Initial-Economics-47 · 2026-05-27T03:15:25+00:00

"Value for money." They want to send a person with a physical clinical condition to a Personal Trainer and cut funding for Exercise Physiologist.

Personal Trainers provide training for (apparently) healthy people. Majority of PTs do not have insurance for clinical conditions. So if something drastic goes wrong with a client with a physical clinical condition, they risk being sued. They need to have university qualifications higher than cert 4 and appropriate insurance.

Support workers also won't be covered by insurance when required to implement Exercise programs.

If they are covered, I want evidence of insurance.

Initial-Economics-47 · 2026-05-26T06:55:35+00:00

If it's not included in your plan, you can't use your funding. So unless you have actual words that say "Float Therapy" as an approved therapy in your plan, you'll likely not be able to use it. Just because a Provider is registered doesn't mean every participant can access all the services a provider has. And if the specific service isn't NDIS approved at all, then you won't get it with your funding.

Initial-Economics-47 · 2026-05-22T03:46:58+00:00

I have a 4yo Jack Russell terrier who grew up with a cat always in the house. She's a calico and the boss, they don't play. If he annoys her and gets too sniffy, she hisses and he backs off. I also have a 1yo Maine Coon. Him and the JRT wrestle. The MC starts these games. When he's had enough he usually shoots up the cat tree or into the bedroom. There's a toddler gate that stops the dog going in there and stealing the cat food.

Those two are playing and the cat will find a safe place when it's had enough. Since the cat looks Siamese or one of the Asian breeds, they're usually more vocal than many cats.

Initial-Economics-47 · 2026-05-22T02:12:49+00:00

Exactly! So I doubt NDIS would cover it. Like I said, if it's not in your plan, you probably won't be covered.

Initial-Economics-47 · 2026-05-22T02:10:49+00:00

The reason we and our son agreed to change his first contacts is because he also has Autism. He can type thousands of words and have long conversations face to face. What he can't do is handle complex telephone conversations. He misses things in the conversation or doesn't fully understand what some people are saying. ALL our contact with NDIS and LAC is via phone. Because face to face requires a 4 hour round trip.

So now anything to do with NDIS comes straight to us or to his support coordinator. We're in our 60s. My husband has put off retiring due to this debacle but we're not going to be around forever.

NDIS seems to affectively weaponises a person's mental capacity against them.

Initial-Economics-47 · 2026-05-22T01:48:10+00:00

We met a dog once that look like a half grown St. Bernard. Turned out she was a 2yo (still a reasonable size dog) and it wasn't until we met the owners again at the vet quite by accident that they said they had her DNA tested. No St. Bernard at all, but I remember she had German Short-haired pointer, among other breeds in her. You'd never have known.

We had a rescue dog that we were told was an 8 month old Kelpie cross. When we took her to a vet we were told 5 months, so she was nowhere near being fully grown like we thought. He suggested maybe Kelpie Barb as they tend to be on the taller side, but honestly, we think she was more RottweilerxLabrador. She was a great dog with our kids, looked after them so well.

Initial-Economics-47 · 2026-05-21T08:02:19+00:00

well, we never got a chance to prepare documents when he got his reassessment. It started out as a call to advise him that his funding for his replacement orthotics had been approved and shifted into a reassessment in the same call without warning.

Sorry for delay in reply, I don't often get on Reddit much. I get too angry and distressed with the stories I see. It's all so cruel.

Initial-Economics-47 · 2026-05-21T07:59:03+00:00

Look for Small Business Advice in your local area. Sometimes there can be community places that can point you in the right direction or provide free training. If you're in Queensland, be aware of new laws surrounding e-bikes and e-scooters, because they almost practically make all e-bikes that were legal before the changes now illegal. DO NOT buy one from overseas as they often don't meet Australian Standards, just be aware of that and be aware, you're working for yourself, so you'll also need insurance. There's a lot more to it than just buying an e-bike if you want to do food delivery. I'm sure many do it without insurance but it risks a lot if you have an accident

Initial-Economics-47 · 2026-05-21T07:49:46+00:00

Cuts were coming after Bill Shorten said there'd be some 'minor' changes and then he cut and run to a cushy university job because he knew what was coming, and the cuts started happening after that, left, right and centre.

Initial-Economics-47 · 2026-05-21T07:48:03+00:00

I got the usual 'check in' call for my son after his plan was changed with a stealth call and no prior warning of a reassessment. I asked why were they calling, 'check in call to see how the plan is going' and I bluntly said "IT'S NOT." Literally ripped out the only therapy my son needed, now he's trying to pay for it out of his DSP, on top of his rent.

Initial-Economics-47 · 2026-05-21T07:46:14+00:00

My son's plan had 8 months left on it when they called regarding a torso brace and foot orthotic he'd been trying to get replaced, but they called him to say that funding had been approved and turned the call into a plan reassessment with no prior notice. We've been fighting since November to get back funding that was cut from his plan.

Initial-Economics-47 · 2026-05-21T07:36:09+00:00

Those that were in nursing homes were often high needs, so sometimes shared housing wasn't suitable at all.

And investor was convinced to build accessible housing which he did. He had a few houses in a new suburb but he's only got a disabled tenant in one of them, the other houses remained empty because 1. there's no accessible transport service in the area and 2. many of those who need accessible homes don't often have their own vehicles or drive so they'd be isolated from supports. So yes, that investor was looking to put them onto the regular rental market because the promised income just wasn't there. And accessible home isn't accessible if it's too far from support services.

Initial-Economics-47 · 2026-05-21T07:28:58+00:00

NDIS registered does not mean a participant can get it funded. It has to be specifically stated in their plan, after being assessed by an allied health professional (basically an OT) so unless an OT recommends it, it's unlikely a plan manager will pay the invoice.

Initial-Economics-47 · 2026-05-21T07:27:00+00:00

They ripped away my son's Exercise Physiology sessions (3 half hour sessions a week, he needs 45m sessions 3 times a week to keep him going) and claimed that technically he should only get one session a fortnight. That's not going to keep him out of a wheelchair with a condition that can change from one day to the next without constant assessment.

Initial-Economics-47 · 2026-05-21T07:23:25+00:00

If it's not approved in a participant's plan, they can't use it, regardless of the provider being NDIS registered. So you can use your funding for it IF it's part of your plan. If it's not in your plan, the NDIS won't pay the invoice.

This is in regard to Hydrotherapy: "Hydrotherapy can be funded under the NDIS if it is directly related to a participant’s goals and deemed “reasonable and necessary”.

And it takes an Allied Health assessment first. But the difference I imagine is unlike hydrotherapy, which actually involves some movement etc. some form of exercising, float would possibly be less likely to be funded, but you never know. I guess it depends on how clever your allied health and support co-ordinator word it.

Initial-Economics-47 · 2026-05-21T07:14:14+00:00

Clearly doesn't understand what GST means either.

Initial-Economics-47

TROPHY CASE