NDIS GROUP PRICING CHANGES

The NDIS has introduced a new pricing structure for group services. NDIS have mandated that all disability services must transition to the new Group Services Pricing model by 1 January 2024. IOE is currently working through these changes and anticipate that programs will be operating under new billing for IOE in early November.

These changes, mandated by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) will take the single hourly rate for group services and divide it into three components. NDIS have introduced this change with the view that breaking down this rate into its components on an invoice gives participants a more transparent way of viewing the service that they receive.

What’s Changing?

Currently, participants are charged a fixed hourly rate depending on their support ratio for group-based services. Under the new group services billing system you will see the fixed hourly rate as well as some new line items.

Two new items have been introduced by the NDIS. They are capital centre costs (CCC) and non-face-to-face (NFTF). Capital centre costs is a standard rate set by the NDIS which supports IOE to operate our sites. Non-face-to-face encompasses all the recording, documenting, communication and planning we do to provide your service.

There is a lot of work being done in the background to ensure that IOE is ready for this change to come into effect by 1 January 2024. The service that you receive from IOE will not change. Invoices will just look a little different. The hourly support cost will go from being a single figure (which once encompassed CCC and NF2F), to three separate figures.

We will continue to provide you with more information as the date for transition approaches including family information sessions in October.

Please see our FAQ below for more information.

Group Services Pricing FAQ:

More FAQ will be added if required, so please check back to learn more.

NDIS have mandated that all disability services must transition to the new group services pricing by 1 January 2024. This is not a decision by Interchange Outer East. If you access other NDIS funded group services, they will be changing the way they bill also. To assist us with this change IOE are also changing their IT system also, when we change over to this new system we will change over to the new group pricing model.

NDIS have mandated that all disability services must transition to the new group services pricing by 1 January 2024. This transition means there is extra work behind the scenes for IOE to break down costs in our invoices to families. To assist us with this change IOE are also changing IT systems. When we change over to this new system, Good Human, we will change over to the new group pricing model. We anticipate that orograms will be operating under new billing for IOE November 2023.

The hourly rate individuals currently pay is assumed to include either a contribution to non-face-to-face, capital centre costs or both. Capital centre costs (CCC) is a standard rate set by the NDIS which supports IOE to operate our sites. Non-face-to-face (NFTF) encompasses all the recording, documenting, communication and planning we do to provide outside of your direct support as noted in the question above. Under the current system, IOE distribute non-face-to-face and capital income to services and deliver this support as required (for example on request we dedicate time to developing a report or consolidating data to support a plan review). However, under this system we do not know the portion of time dedicated to these efforts. The change has been introduced so you and the NDIS understand how much time is dedicated to providing your non-face-to-face support and how much you contribute to maintaining the service centre as well as the time it takes to provide you a full support service.

Your funding will continue to be allocated by the NDIS following a plan review.

Depending on the participants support requirements, NFTF and CCC will vary. We will be having family information sessions to explain the changes and you will receive a new service agreement detailing your costs.

You can expect the same high standard support you always have with IOE. Not much will change in how you access our service day-to-day. We will deliver support as agreed through your service agreement. It is important to note that IOE can only provide support within the limits of your funding.

For example, if you require more non-face-to-face support, IOE will draw upon these funds to pay for staff time dedicated to these tasks which may leave you with less face-to-face for the rest of your plan. However, if you require less non-face-to-face support your plan may have surplus funds available. In either case we will support you to understand and wherever possible let you know if you either have too much or not enough allocated funding. We are here for any questions you may have.

Over recent months IOE staff have been recording how much time they are committing to non-face-to-face activities. We have developed a non-face-to-face schedule which includes our regular activities for programs. Your service agreement will detail the cost break down.

Yes, these charges will continue to come from your core support funding category.

Yes. We deliver non-face-to-face across all our services and therefore we will negotiate a component of non-face-to-face support.

Yes, we will break down services charges in a service agreement. We are required to detail how much direct support, CCC and NFTF support we expect to deliver over the plan period. There will be a note in the comment section detailing an estimated amount of non NFTF included per hour of delivered service.

Previously centre capital costs (CCC) were factored into the overall unit price for group activities. The per hour cost for group activities is now less, and CCC is charged separately at $2.44 per person, per hour. Interchange will charge CCC to individuals:
  • When IOE is renting the building or room that the group is run from
  • When IOE owns the building that the group is run from
  • When activities are run in a centre
  • When an activity is run in the community, but the center is available for use
Almost all IOE programs utilise a venue that we own or hire or alternatively we have a venue available in case of emergency.  In all these cases CCC will be charged.

Non face-to-face support used to be included in the hourly rate, but like centre capital costs (CCC), it has been removed and is now charged as a separate item. NFTF support are tasks that IOE staff complete outside of direct support with you. These tasks include (but not limited to):

  • Goal review and reporting
  • Updating support information
  • Research and planning directly related to a participant’s needs and activities
  • attending care team meetings, staff meetings & activities that prepare or debrief on individuals

Delivering these activities ensures that IOE staff can provide a safe and quality service and support participants achieve their chosen goals. The hourly rate charged for face-to-face support is the same as the rate charged for NFTF supports. Non face-to-face supports are not apportioned.

Some examples include:
  • Writing reports about the progress of a participant’s support;
  • Goal monitoring;
  • Attending NDIA planning meetings;
  • Planning programs and activities for an individual person to participate in;
  • Updating support information document for participants; and
  • Individual training specific to a participant (such as learning how to implement a person’s behaviour support plan or learning a specific technique for supporting someone).
One of the most important things that needs to happen for a provider to charge for NF2F is that the participant (or their families or guardians) must agree to the charges. These will be set out in your service agreement that you will need to agree on for us to provide the service to you.
IOE prides itself on providing a safe and quality service. NFTF ensures that we can provide this service.

The rate charged for face-to-face work is the same as the rate charged for NFTF supports. You will see them separated on your invoice as a separate line item so that you can see how much NFTF time is being charged.

  • Pre-engagement visits (intake);
  • Ongoing NDIS plan monitoring;
  • Completing a quoting tool (however, the section of the quote that addresses your goals and speaks to this is billable);
  • Making participant service time changes on our backend system;
  • Staff and participant travel monitoring and adjustment;
  • Developing and agreeing service agreements;
  • Entering or amending participant details into system; and
  • Making service bookings and payment claims.

Group Services Pricing Video

This short video will help explain the group pricing changes.