Advocating to the NDIA against the Independent Pricing Review
I switched bathers for city clothes when I supported the Australian Physiotherapy Association CEO, Cris Massis, in meeting with McKinsey regarding the NDIS IPR this morning. They asked questions about each recommendation, and were hoping to gain information about how to implement them. They appeared interested which is a great start. We went through each recommendations. We spent the most time on #17, which is about levels of disability tied to funding.
We explained why we don't support levels.
They asked a number of follow up questions about whether physios of more or less experience should be seeing different complexity of participants within NDIS.
We kept bring it back to : - funding should be related to goals - what support is needed to achieve those goals should be assessed based on the WHO ICF (how much funding do you need to achieve your goal at this point in time?) - choice and control - the therapist needs to have the skill and expertise relevant to that individual's needs and goals. It is not about levels
- every participant in the NDIS has complex needs, by definition of the NDIS eligibility criteria. They did identify that relating funding to goals matched the current planning process, which I felt was a huge win. From a financial perspective, if you destroy capacity building there will be no increase in activity or participation in employment by people with disabilities or their carers. So the cost savings forecast by the Productivity Commission will not be met. They advised they are looking to find some recommendations that can be implemented in time for 1st July, with announcements to be made early June. Attendees: 2 people from McKinsey Cris Massis, APA CEO Chris Leach, APA policy Melissa Locke, physio, past APA President Julienne Locke, physio Shayna Gavin, physio The Allied Health Professionals Association met after us, including representatives from physio, OT, speech and psychology professions together .
We have been given some information about results of these meetings, but I am waiting to see them in writing before repeating them.
A million apologies to the families whose aquatic physiotherapy sessions I cancelled today to do this meeting. The irony of cancelling seeing kids with disabilities to advocate against cuts to funding for children with disabilities is not lost on me. I can only hope it has been effective.
The best result we are hoping for is a delay to recommendation 17 regarding levels because that will give us more time to advocate against the change. Either way we need an enormous advocacy effort from all therapists, people with disabilities & families of people with disabilities. I will share any news here.
Fingers crossed please!
(Photo showing Chris Leach, Cris Massis and Shayna Gavin seated at a table, with heaps of paper prep work in front of them, hopeful before their meeting)
