How can the Government fix the National Disability Insurance Scheme?
The Australian Government implemented the NDIS Act in 2013. By late 2020, all people with “permanent” and “significant” disabilities could access the NDIS nationwide.
The NDIS has had a number of issues; from criminal neglect, abuse and fraud. More recently, there have been fears and controversies about whatis and isn’t funded by the NDIS.
Some ‘services’ that aren’t covered seem quite obvious for most people, such as: alcohol, sex workers and standard day – to – day expenses.
Other services have been substituted. For example, the NDIS pays for participants to have an Exercise Physiologist, rather than a Personal Trainer.
The future of other services currently covered by the NDIS are murkier.
Doctor suggests cutting “middlemen” out of NDIS
According to The Australian, Western Australia – based General Practitioner, Dr. James Fitzpatrick suggests cutting out ‘the middlemen’ of the scheme. This includes Plan Managers and Support Coordinators.
Dr. Fitzpatrick argues that some Support Coordinators are charging “trail fees” and earning more than a junior doctor. He also argues that Plan Managers make the NDIS more complex and take funds away from therapies:
The plan management model has diverted substantial resources within the NDIS and has made it more complex to administer for therapy providers and this has resulted in less resources being available for direct service provision
(“NDIS spends $1bn-plus on fees for middlemen managers”, Natasha Robinson, 21 March 2025).
According to Dr. Fitzpatrick, each participant is charged a ‘set – up fee’ from their package often ranging from A$230 to A$350. The cost is dependent where the participant lives and how remote they are.
Who will keep watch?
In a perfect world, maybe Plan Managers and Support Coordinators wouldn’t be needed in 5he NDIS. But it’s no secret that the NDIS has been plagued with fraud and abuses.
Plan Managers keep an eye on the amount of funds that a participant have in their Plan. They also alert participants if the funds are going to run out early. Lastly, they keep an eye on invoices that NDIS providers submit, making sure that invoices are legitimate and in line with the guidelines.
Support Coordinators are advocates for participants. They argue with the NDIA and make sure that participants get the funding they’re entitled to. They also alert participants when changes should be made and when a Provider is being unethical.
So, who will fulfil these roles and maintain participants’ rights? Local Area Coordinators (Navigators)? Doctors? Other professionals who are already overworked?
Is there a better solution?
I think the real problem is lack of professional standards. Currently, there are very few mandates for NDIS workers. Many organisations don’t require certain qualifications, Police Checks or Work With Children Checks, or even First Aid.
Rather than abolishing Plan Managers and Support Coordinators, maybe they need to be better regulated. They should all have a background and/or qualifications in Disability and/ or Community Services at minimum.
They should all have appropriate checks, including NDIS Worker Check, Work With Children’s Check (WWCC) and National Police Check.
Finally, there needs to be strict regulations on the rates that Plan Managers, Support Coordinators and other providers can charge. Anyone proven to be charging the wrong amount should be dealt with affectively.
If Support Coordinators and Plan Managers are done away with, I fear that there will be less support for participants. Dare I say, there will be more fraud, exploitation and abuse. The Government should deal with unethical providers, regardless of their role. Deal with the fraud and abuses, rather than deprive participants of advocacy and support they need!
Should Support Coordinators and Plan Managere be taken out of the NDIS? Let me know thoughts in the comments below.