NDIS: How do I Choose a Provider?

Participants need to understand the different budgets, who can help them use the plan and how the plan is managed. Where necessary, however, the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) or others will manage the funding for supports where there is an unreasonable risk to a participant.

Support co-ordination may be included in a participant’s plan if it is reasonable and necessary for the individual, but it is not generally funded in the participant’s plan except where exploring housing options.

Support coordinators help participants to implement supports in their plan, including informal, government services, community activities and funded supports. They will work with a participant to:

• assess and choose preferred providers.
• negotiate services to be provided and their prices, develop service agreements and create service bookings with the participant’s preferred providers, and
• liaise with any plan manager provider to establish the appropriate claim categories and attribute the correct amount of funds.

Once the types of services required have been established, the participant might want to research providers on the internet, check reviews, get advice from friends or family and speak with different providers either face-to-face or over the phone before agreeing to work with them.

Appointed co-ordinators or support co-ordinators can also help source NDIS-registered providers or one can search the Provider Finder on the myplace portal.