The Raw Nerve Podcast: NDIS Pricing Review
The latest episode of MS Australia’s The Raw Nerve podcast covers the recent NDIS Pricing Review announcement and the sector’s response.
MSWA CEO Melanie Kiely joins Jeremy Henderson, Head of Advocacy at MS Australia, Magriet Raxworthy, CEO of Dietitians Australia, Dr Rik Dawson, National President of the Australian Physiotherapy Association, and Rohan Greenland, CEO of MS Australia to unpack what the National Disability Insurance Agency’s announcement means for each organisation, as well as MSWA and the Clients who depend on our services.
The discussion explores the implications for future pricing and the broader impact on the sector moving forward.
"When you're busy running the operations and complexities of this (NDIS), you can forget that these are individuals," Melanie explains.
"People with disability, with such a broad range of different conditions - [the pricing review] takes a very statistical and policy driven approach. It doesn't take a personal approach."
Listen to the podcast episode below.
Episode description
Together with the broader sector, MS Australia is extremely disappointed with the recently released 2024-2025 NDIS Pricing Review.
What is the Annual NDIS Pricing Review? What were we expecting or hoping for? What has been announced and why are we so concerned? What are the potential implications for people living with multiple sclerosis (MS), the wider disability community, our MS Member Organisations and allied therapy supports? What are we requesting and seeking from the NDIA and the Federal Government?
In this episode, Raw Nerve host Jeremy Henderson, Head of Advocacy at MS Australia speaks with Magriet Raxworthy, CEO of Dietitians Australia, Dr Rik Dawson, National President of the Australian Physiotherapy Association, Melanie Kiely, CEO of MSWA one of MS Australia’s four Member Organisations and Rohan Greenland, CEO of MS Australia about the NDIS Pricing Review announcement, our response and reaction.
We explore what the National Disability Insurance Agency’s Review announcement means for the panel’s respective organisations, the broader sector and to people who rely on these services. We discuss our position, where to from here and what the sector would like to see going forward.
In essence, MS Australia is concerned by the decision to reduce pricing for essential therapy supports including physiotherapy, dietetics, and podiatry, to freeze prices for occupational therapy and speech pathology and to slash travel funding by 50%.
These reductions along with no increases in pricing for level 2 and level 3 support coordination and plan management will put further pressure on our Member Organisations who deliver essential services to people living with MS and other neurological conditions.
Our Member Organisations are already subsidising the delivery of services, proving many hours of unfunded support coordination and plan management. This latest pricing decision further threatens the viability of many providers, including our Members, who provide vital tailored disease specific services.
MS Australia is calling on the NDIA to urgently consider the impacts of these pricing arrangements and to establish clear independent pricing including releasing the Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority’s review of NDIS pricing.
We also discuss the sector’s public facing campaign efforts mobilising the community including the Allied Health sector’s Change.org petition led by Australian Physiotherapy Association, Dietitians Australia, Australian Podiatry Association and Australian Psychological Society.
The NDIS Pricing Review decision ultimately hurts the sector and the disability community who will no longer be able to access the vital services they require. The price is NOT right!
