These providers are known as plan managers. Plan administration is not the same as having the NDIA manage your NDIS plan funds or you choosing to self-administer them. Self-management consists of managing NDIS funds. It gives you the flexibility and the option to decide what supports to buy to achieve your plan's goals.
Looking to have more control over your National Disability Insurance System (NDIS) plan? Both plan-managed and self-managed options give you much more control than agency-managed options, and that's probably why they've now overtaken agency management as the most popular option. NDIS participants who choose self-management or plan management have access to approximately four times as many providers, but what are the real differences between plan management and self-management? Independent plan managers, such as My Plan Manager, specialize in providing plan management services and do not provide any other services to NDIS participants. During the planning meeting, your partner dedicated to early childhood, your LAC or NDIA planner will ask you how you would like to manage NDIS funds. While a support coordinator helps you implement your plan and contact providers, the role of the plan administrator is to manage and oversee the funding of your plan and submit claims to the NDIA on behalf of your providers.
The NDIA will fund your plan to hire a plan administrator to pay your providers for you, help you keep track of funds, and prepare financial reports for you. They will help you understand plan management options and how your choice will guide the direction and administration of your plan. Financial capacity building supports are reasonable and necessary support that can be included in the participants' plan to strengthen their capacity to carry out tasks related to the management of their supports. While both help you manage and implement your NDIS plan, plan administrators have a very different role than support coordinators.
For more information on price controls for NDIS services, visit the pricing and payment section of the NDIS website. If you like to have full control of your NDIS funds and manage all the administrative tasks, such as paying your suppliers, keeping your records and processing requests from the NDIS portal, self-management is an excellent option for you. No, the role of a plan administrator is not to determine if the supports or services purchased are “reasonable and necessary.” Plan administrators will keep all records of provider claims and will be able to provide you with account statements and reports so you can keep track of expenses. When you meet with your planner, LAC partner, or ECEI to develop your plan, they will discuss plan management options with you and ask you how you want your plan funds to be managed.
An NDIS partner in the community that provides local or early childhood coordination services can support you in implementing and monitoring the plan. When the plan administrator detects excessive or under-expected spending, they should report it to them as soon as possible, regardless of how often the reports are submitted. The plan administrator may be required to refund any amount that hasn't been spent according to your plan. However, this comes with some additional responsibilities that don't involve being managed by an agency or plan.
