The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) has today announced service prices for Queensland.
The NDIA will use current New South Wales, Victorian and Tasmanian prices as an initial base for National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Queensland prices.
In setting service prices, the NDIA takes into account market risk, such as service gaps, as providers move to a market-driven business model to operate under the NDIS.
NDIS personal and community support prices are currently set at levels higher than the NDIA’s estimate of efficient costs. This arrangement is designed to give service providers time to adapt to NDIS funding arrangements.
The prices will apply in North Queensland’s NDIS early transition sites until 30 June 2016, at which point they may be adjusted. Prices will be higher in remote areas. This will affect Palm Island services and some services in Charters Towers.
On 25 September, 2015 the Commonwealth and Queensland governments announced the NDIS would be available in Townsville, Charters Towers and Palm Island from January 2016.
Around 1600 people are expected to be eligible for the NDIS in the North Queensland early transition sites, with up to 600 people expected to receive funded packages by 1 July, 2016.
The remaining 1000 eligible people will receive funded packages form July 2016.