Disability Intermediaries Australia has become aware of an issue that is affecting our Plan Management members.

This issue is where the NDIA determines that a payment request is:
• invalid,
• not in compliance with a participant’s plan, or
• not in compliance with NDIA policy (such as the price guide),
after a payment request has already been accepted by the NDIA and funds released to the RPMP. In a couple of examples raised this has been a number of months later.

DIA has become aware that the NDIA is automatically recovering funds from RPMPs, by raising a debt against the RPMP. This appears to be done by the NDIA short paying or ‘top slicing’ amounts the NDIA believe are owed against the RPMPs next payment request (claim).

This means that legitimate claims are being short paid to recover funds against an unrelated participant or service provider.

DIA has been made aware of recent examples of this practice being undertaken by the NDIA around Assistive Technology Items, Supported Independent Living and Capacity Building Supports.

This is a complex matter. DIA has raised this matter with the NDIA and will continue to escalate it until it is resolved. DIA will provide further information and outcomes of this matter in the coming day and weeks.

In the meantime, DIA would like to hear from any Plan Manager, member or not, who has experienced this situation firsthand. Tell us about your example here: https://intermediaries.typeform.com/to/RPuxxVEX

Should you have had this happen on a larger scale (i.e. lots of times) or would like to discuss further, please email us directly (info@intermediaries.org.au) and we will have one of our team contact you.