Category: Providers

  • NDIS Price Guide Update & Provider Payment Tips

    There has been a new Price Guide released by the NDIA on July 1st. We wanted to run through key changes you will come across as a provider as well as a few tips that may be helpful when processing payments. 

    Watch the video below for an update from our Managing Director- Michael Coyne:

    Updates to the NDIS Price Guide:

    Name change- the Price Guide will now be known as the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits. It’s understood that the reason behind the change was to ensure participants understand that the pricing limits aren’t necessarily the set price and there may be room to negotiate rates in the future. 

    No price increase to house cleaning and garden maintenance as well as allied health services. Pricing for these services has remained consistent over the past two years. 

    Participant plans will not be indexed- this means participant funding will not increase in line with increased price limits. This may cause issues if providers are utilising a participant’s entire budget to deliver a service across the life of a plan and then the hourly rate is increased in line with the new price limits. This will cause the service booking to fall short. The NDIA are recommending any participants who may be at risk of this to complete a review of their plan. However, we understand there is a delay on the review process which can be stressful.

    Our suggestion to avoid this issue would be to send us through your signed service agreements. This allows us to quarantine those funds specifically for your service, meaning the funds cannot be spent by any other providers.

    For more information regarding the latest NDIS updates surrounding the price guide visit the NDIS website. The next pricing update is expected in July 2022. Our team are happy to answer any questions you may have surrounding the latest price guide update, feel free to reach out on 1300 402 568. 

    Provider Payment Tips:

    Provider travel- Providers may wish to claim for travel to a participant appointment. This can be done in two parts. Either, time-based (charging for the time it takes to get to the appointment) or non-time-based (charging for kilometres traveled, parking fees, or tolls). 

    Participant travel- Providers may be able to claim for transporting a participant to an appointment, service, as part of their support. This can be charged on a time-based case where providers charge for the time taken to get to the destination, or non-time-based where providers would charge per kilometre traveled based on the prices below. 

    Travel is generally charged at 85 cents per kilometre for a non-modified vehicle or $2.40 for a modified vehicle. However, this is not a hard cap and can be negotiated between a provider and their participant. 

    ABN- the NDIA has changed the claiming process and we must now include an ABN to process the payment. Please ensure your ABN is included on every invoice. 

    Include a breakdown of quantities and rates (as per the NDIS price limits). Most pricing limits are broken down to an hourly rate. It is important to include the hours of service delivered as well as the hourly rate. If you can break it down to specific service dates that will also alleviate any plan date issues that could arise. 

    Include an item code as per the price guide or a description that closely matches. This allows us to ensure we assign the service/product delivered to the correct area of the participant’s plan. This can also help the NDIA understand the services and supports the participant has engaged with as well as help shape their future plans. 

    Unique invoice numbers- our system filters duplicate invoices so you must use unique invoice numbers. Some providers have an invoice process that includes starting at invoice 1 for each participant. In this instance, we suggest including a client code such as their initials. 

    PDF attachment- When emailing an invoice through to us, we ask that you include it as a PDF. This format is ideal as it’s a locked document that can’t be edited and there are no issues with formatting for clients during the approval process. 

    Invoices can be sent to us via email at ndis@budgetnet.com.au via MMS 0428 583 575 or by mail at PO Box 28, Melton VIC, 3337. 

    Need extra invoicing tips and tricks? Find out about our Top 10 Tips for Fast Payments

    We also have some useful resources for providers such as our Invoice Generator and Invoice Checklist. Our aim is to pay invoices within 3 to 5 business days, however, if a problem occurs this could be increased. 

    Here is the best way to avoid any payment problems

    1. Confirm that the participant has enough funding to cover your service. The best way to do this is to send us a signed service agreement and we will set aside the funding you require. This will also safeguard those funds from being used by other providers. 
    2. Ensure you have the correct hourly rate and item code as per the NDIS guidelines
    3. Confirm that your invoice is correct by taking a look at our Invoice Checklist

    Our team is always here to assist providers in navigating NDIS payments. Reach out to us on 1300 402 568 or email ndis@budgetnet.com.au. Alternatively, if you have a participant that may benefit from accessing our Plan Management services you can complete our Referral form.  

  • How to solve NDIS payment problems 

    We have created this summary which explains some of the most common invoice problem we come across. We try to make the process as easy as possible, please use the below tips to help reduce any billing issues.

    As always the BudgetNet team is available to answer any questions. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us on 1300 402 568

    Problem: Not enough funding 

    If a service is provided to a participant but they do not have enough money in their NDIS plan to cover the cost, then the participant will need to pay for the service out of their own pocket.

    To ensure this does not happen:

    • Participants or providers can call us to quarantine the funds needed for a service before it is provided. We just need a copy of the signed service agreement. We will then keep aside the required amount as listed in the service agreement to ensure:
      1. The funds are available for the entire lifespan of the service.
      2. The funds do not get used for any other services.
    • Participants can access our Careview Advantage app to track their funds and ensure there is enough available within the required category for the service before getting started. 
    • Participants and providers are welcome to contact our team before beginning a service to receive support and expert advice from our team.  

    Problem: Invoice errors

    Providers need to create an invoice once they have delivered a service. We have created an easy Invoice Checklist that outlines exactly what needs to be included in the invoice to ensure it is processed without issue. 

    Simple errors such as not including your ABN, service dates, or an incorrect NDIS line item could cause payment delays. 

    To ensure this does not happen:

    Problem: Plan dates 

    If a participants NDIS plan ends midway through a provider’s invoicing period and the invoice is not broken down into individual service dates, our accounts team may get in touch to request further action.

    To ensure this does not happen:

    • Try to break down your invoices into individual delivery dates when including multiple services in the one invoice. This will reduce the chance of any problems occurring due to the participants plan ending midway through the invoice period.

    Problem: Charging over the NDIS price guide  

    Providers can only claim up to the amount listed in the NDIS price guide through a participant’s NDIS plan. If the hourly rate (agreed upon by the participant) is higher than the NDIS price cap, the participant will be personally responsible for paying the additional amount. 

    To ensure this does not happen:

    • Providers can check the NDIS price cap amounts by heading to the NDIS website. There is a lot of information to process when it comes to NDIS funding so feel free to contact our team to discuss the correct category for your service. 
    • If you are unsure if the amount being charged is in line with the NDIS price cap you can call our team on 1300 402 568. 

    Problem: A change in Plan Management provider 

    NDIS participants have choice and control over the providers they wish to work with. This means a participant can decide to change their plan management provider and start using BudgetNet’s services at any time within their plan. The previous plan manager will need to release funds, allowing BudgetNet to take over. Until this occurs, we cannot process any invoices.

    To ensure this does not happen:

    • Providers should communicate with their participants as frequently as possible. This is the best way to stay up to date with any changes to a participant’s plan. 
    • If a participant does advise you of a change in plan manager we suggest contacting the previous plan manager to ensure your invoices up to the changeover date have been processed.

    Our goal is to minimise any payment problems and to continue to process your invoices as quickly as possible. The BudgetNet team is here to support you and ensure any issues are resolved as quickly as possible to avoid payment delays. Contact us at 1300 402 568 or ndis@budgetnet.com.au

    Learn more about our Plan Management services

  • Top 10 tips for fast payments

    We generally pay invoices within 3 – 5 business days from participant approval. Of course, not all payments run smoothly and at times there may be delays. We have created this article for providers to understand how to avoid issues and guarantee fast payments.

    If you follow the tips below your payment could be processed within 2 – 3 business days!

    Tip 1: Ensure the invoice includes a quantity (how many hours you worked) and the hourly rate. If the agreed upon price is higher than NDIS price cap, a separate invoice should be sent directly to the participant as we can only pay up to the NDIS price cap amount.

    Tip 2: If possible, use NDIS codes from the price guide, this makes it easy for us to allocate to the correct category.

    Tip 3: Include all of your business details within the invoice:

    • ABN
    • Contact number.
    • Email

    Tip 4: Ensure the Invoice has clear participant details, ideally 2-3 identification points:

    • Participant Name
    • NDIS Number
    • Address

    Tip 5: Provide your email address on the invoice. Mistakes happen and if it’s easy for us to contact you they can be resolved promptly. We will also email a remittance advice on completion of payment.

    Tip 6: Provide your signed service agreement. We can quarantine participant funding for a provider, meaning those funds cannot be allocated to anyone except you.

    To quarantine funds, we need a copy of the service agreement with an allocated amount within each particular category of the participant’s plan. This must be signed and agreed upon by the participant

    Tip 7: Use a PDF file where possible.

    Tip 8: Attach your invoice to the email. If we need to follow links to download an invoice it can occasionally cause problems.

    Tip 9: Include individual service dates where possible. When invoices are split across plans, we can still process them provided the services are split.

    Tip 10: Use unique invoice numbers. This makes it easier for us to track each invoice, and to notify you when payment is completed.

    Where do I send invoices for payment?

    You can send your invoices directly to us in the following ways:

    Email: ndis@budgetnet.com.au

    SMS: 0428 583 575

    Mail: PO Box 28, Melton VIC 3337

    We have also developed an Invoice Generator if you need assistance in creating an invoice. The Invoice Generator allows you to build an invoice on our website, save it to your computer and send it to us for payment. This way you can guarantee the formatting of the invoice is correct.

    You may also work with participants who may benefit from using our Plan Management services. If so, feel free to complete our referral form.

    If you have any questions regarding an invoice or general payment advice, feel free to reach out to our team on 1300 402 568.