NDIS invoices can be tricky for both our customers and their service providers. Our team of plan management specialists are the people behind trying to make the invoicing process as easy and stress-free as possible, so our customers can get the support they need using their NDIS budgets.
Today, we join Alex to see what the average day looks like for a plan management specialist.
“Knowing that what we do helps service providers better understand how the NDIS works and that NDIS participants get the support they need really drives our team to do our best work” - Alex, Plan Partners Plan Management Specialist
8:00AM - Morning
I’m not much of a morning person, but I find even a little bit of exercise really helps my brain to switch on. Because we’re working from home at the moment, I go for a morning stroll around my neighbourhood, which gets the blood flowing and prepares me for whatever the day will bring!
9:00AM - Urgent invoices
The first thing I do when I get to my desk is take care of the 'urgents'. These are invoices for the previous day that need a bit of expert knowledge and extra problem solving before they’re ready to go to the NDIS. It's mostly reimbursements, so I try to get them processed as quickly as possible to ensure our customers get their money back as soon as possible.
10:00AM - Batch
10am is an important time for the plan management specialist team. This is when all the invoices we’ve been working on for the last 24 hours are sent to the NDIS for processing and payment. Every morning feels a bit like a race to get everything done before the deadline, but it’s very rewarding when we make it because you know you're helping so many people receive valuable supports with their NDIS funding.
10:30AM - Team meeting
Once we get all the invoices off to the NDIS, we have a team meeting to discuss some of the latest changes to the NDIS Price Guide. Not only are these meetings always informative, they’re also a nice opportunity to catch up with the rest of the plan management specialist team – something that’s so important now we’re not in the same office.
11:00AM - Service Agreements
The rest of the morning can change from day to day depending on what the most pressing priority is for our team. Today we have a lot of our customers’ service agreements to process, so we’ll focus on these.
Service agreements can be really helpful, as they state exactly what services will be delivered for what price. We recommend all our customers have one in place with their service providers and send them through to us. With a service agreement we can essentially put a customer’s funding aside, so they’ll always have enough to pay for the services they receive.
1:00PM - Lunch
During my lunch break I always try to leave my desk and go for another walk. Getting out and about really clears the head and gets me ready to tackle the afternoon’s activities.
2:00PM - Invalid invoices
Feeling refreshed after lunch, I turn my attention to the invoices we have received from service providers that are invalid. We always say that behind every invoice is a person, so an invalid invoice can mean that valuable support is not delivered or has costly delays – that’s why we always try to fix them as quickly as we can.
There are many reasons why an invoice can be invalid. Some of the most common ones we see are providers charging more than the NDIS Price Guide allows, or a customer being in between NDIS plans, not having the relevant funding category included in their plan, or simply having run out of funding. Each one requires a different approach to get the issue rectified. Sometimes we need to contact a service provider, and sometimes the customer, so we can work out a solution. I really enjoy when it takes a bit of creative thinking and collaboration with colleagues to come up with a solution.
3:30PM - Creative solutions
Today one of the invoices is 7 pages long and is for a lot of different supports worth more than $20,000 in total. Unfortunately the customer doesn’t have enough funding left to be able to pay for it all out of their NDIS plan. Trying to find a creative solution, I first reach out to my team member Jyothi and see what she thinks could be a good solution. Together, we go through the customer’s NDIS plan and explore what options are available and how we can work to get the issue resolved.
It can be challenging sometimes, but knowing that this work helps service providers to better understand how the NDIS works and that NDIS participants get the support they need makes it satisfying and really drives our team to do our best work. It’s also great to know that my team has my back and are there to help whenever I need it.
5:00PM - Finishing touches
Before I switch off my computer, I process some invoices for assistive technology that have come in throughout the day to prepare for tomorrow morning and ensure these customers get the equipment they need promptly.
5:30PM - Home time
Another rewarding day done and it’s time to head home (or leave my desk if I’m working from home). What will tomorrow have in store? Who knows – but that’s just one of the joys of being a plan management specialist.
FAQs about NDIS plan management specialists
What do NDIS plan management specialists do?
As your plan manager, we take care of all the admin that comes with your NDIS plan and support you to get the most out of your funding. This includes making sure your service providers get paid accurately and on time, storing your records in our secure online system in preparation for auditing, and giving you access to useful tools and resources that give you full control over your budgets and spending.
Learn more about plan management with Plan Partners on our website, or give our friendly team a call on 1300 333 700, 8am to 8pm.
How do NDIS plan management specialists get paid?
A plan manager is funded by the NDIS at no cost to you. They are paid a set-up fee for your first plan (which is paid from funds added on top of your existing funding), and then a monthly fee (also added on top of your plan funding) to manage the financial admin that comes with your plan.
As a NDIS participant, you’re entitled to have plan management included in your NDIS plan, you just have to request it from the NDIS, your Local Area Coordinator (LAC) or planner.
How much do NDIS plan management specialists get paid?
The NDIS covers a setup fee of $232 for participants in metropolitan areas for their first plan (which is paid on top of their plan funding), along with a monthly fee of $104. These fees may be slightly higher for participants living in remote areas.
There is zero cost to you as a NDIS participant. This monthly fee covers all costs associated with assisting and supporting you to manage your NDIS plan.
How does NDIS plan management work?
NDIS plan management is a little like having an admin assistant helping you with your taxes, only it’s fully funded by the NDIS. A plan manager takes care of all the admin associated with your plan and supports you to get the most out of your funding. This includes ensuring your providers are paid accurately and on time.
Here at Plan Partners, we also give you important tools and resources that allow you to easily keep track of your spending, approve invoices, submit reimbursements and more.
As a NDIS participant, you’re entitled to have plan management included in your plan, you just have to request it from the NDIS, your Local Area Coordinator (LAC) or planner. Fees are paid from funds added to your plan funding at no cost to you.
Who are the best NDIS plan managers?
While plan managers tend to have fairly similar roles, the quality and experience offered by each plan manager varies greatly. You want to make sure your plan manager has deep experience with the NDIS and the disability sector, as well as being able to give you tools and resources that give you transparency and control over your funding.
Learn more about plan management with Plan Partners on our website, or give our friendly team a call on 1300 333 700, 8am to 8pm.
What does NDIS plan-managed mean?
NDIS plan-managed refers to having your NDIS funds managed by a plan manager. A plan manager looks after all the financial admin associated with your plan, ensuring your service providers get paid accurately and on time and supporting you to get the most out of your funding.
Learn more about plan management with Plan Partners on our website, or give our friendly team a call on 1300 333 700, 8am to 8pm.
What are the NDIS plan management options?
There are three ways to manage your NDIS funds, self-manage (when you manage your own funds), NDIA-managed (when the NDIA manage your funds) and plan-managed (what we offer here at Plan Partners).
When the NDIA manage your funds, you can only use service providers that are registered with the NDIS, which means you lose access to smaller, local practices offering quality, personalised support.
Managing your own NDIS funds can be time consuming and complex, so you want to make sure you have the time and capacity, as well as a solid understanding how the NDIS works.
It’s worth considering having your funds managed by a plan manager like Plan Partners because this service is fully funded by the NDIS at no cost to you. It will save you valuable time that you could put towards doing something you love, and you will also have an experienced team to turn to with questions about your plan and funding.
We’re here for you
At Plan Partners, we provide two important services that can support you to get the most out of your NDIS plan:
Support coordination helps you bring your plan to life. Have your own support coordinator to work one-on-one with you to help you find and connect with the best service providers for your needs. Find out whether you could be eligible for support coordination.
Plan management takes the burden out of all your NDIS administration. We ensure your providers are paid accurately and on time and give you access to helpful tools, like our Dashboard to easily track your spending and budgets. Everyone is eligible for Plan Management - and it’s funded by the NDIS at no cost to you.