Last month the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) came to the groundbreaking decision that it was reasonable and necessary for the NDIS to fund a young man’s fluid thickeners and nutritional support products when prescribed by an Accredited Practicing Dietitian. The implications of this decision spread far and wide as it meant a person with disability can now be entitled to disability-related health supports that were previously considered not reasonable and necessary. You can read the full story here.
In late June, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Disability Reform Council met to resolve some long standing issues, including the interaction of the NDIS with the health system, and who is responsible for funding what. At this meeting, the states and Commonwealth government finally came to an agreement on funding responsibilities, and established that the NDIS will fund specific disability-related health supports where the supports are a regular part of the person's daily life, and result from their disability.
This is a big win for people with disability who are participating in the scheme. After years of uncertainty, they will now have some clarity over what the NDIS will cover and what the Department of Health are responsible for. Participants can access these supports through their NDIS Plan from 1 October 2019. For more information, and a list of funded disability-related health supports, download the Department of Social Services fact sheet.
