NDIS cancellation policy 2022 /2023

On 22nd of June 2022, the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) published its pricing arrangements for the National Disability Insurance Scheme in its NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 2022-23, that took effect on the 1st of July 2022.

In this blog we will be looking at the short-notice cancellation section in the pricing arrangements guide.

What is the NDIS cancellation policy?

As defined in the NDIS price guide a short-notice cancellation is as follows:

A cancellation is a short notice cancellation if the participant:

• Does not show up for a scheduled support within a reasonable time, or is not present at the agreed place and within a reasonable time when the provider is travelling to deliver the support; or
• Has given less than seven (7) clear days’ notice for a support

If a participant submits a short notice cancellation or misses an appointment without providing notice (no show), then the provider is eligible to claim up to 100% of the agreed upon cost of service, subject to the NDIS Cancellation Policy within the NDIS Price Guide and as laid out in your NDIS service agreement cancellation policy. The amount will be charged to and paid by your NDIS funding accounts.

According to the NDIS price guide, providers have conditions they must meet before they can claim from a participants plan for a Short Notice Cancellation that are:

• The NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits indicates that providers can claim for Short Notice Cancellations in respect of that support item; and
• The proposed charges for the activities comply with the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits; and
• The provider has the agreement of the participant in advance (that is, the service agreement between the participant and provider should specify that Short Notice Cancellations can be claimed); and
• The provider was not able to find alternative billable work for the relevant worker and are required to pay the worker for the time that would have been spent providing the support.

Duty of Care

There is no limit to the amount of short notice cancellations or no shows a provider can claim, although providers have a duty of care in respects to their participants. If a participant has an unusual number of cancellations, the provider has a duty-bound to seek and understand why its occurring so often in many cases it could be the participants schedule of supports need to be updated, the participant has forgotten or needs a weekly reminder. Communication between both the participant and provider is key!