Self-managed NDIS: what it changes for occupational therapy
What self-managing means when you engage an OT: provider choice, invoicing, records, and what does not change.
Self-managing means the funds in the plan are administered by the participant or their nominee rather than by the NDIA or a plan manager. For occupational therapy the practical differences are small but worth knowing before the first appointment.
What it changes
- Provider choice is widest. A self-managed participant can engage any suitable provider, registered or not.
- Invoices come to you. You pay the provider and claim through the myplace portal, so the paperwork sits with you rather than a plan manager.
- Records matter more. Keeping invoices and service agreements is your responsibility, and the NDIA can ask for them.
- Pricing is negotiable in principle, though most therapy providers work to the published price limits regardless.
What it does not change
The assessment itself, the evidence it has to produce, and the way a funding request is written are identical. Fund management decides who pays the invoice, not what the therapist does. See also plan-managed.
Say which one you are at referral. It is the detail most often left off, and it decides whether a provider can invoice at all.
Common questions
Can I use an unregistered provider if I self-manage?
Yes. Self-managed participants have the widest provider choice of the three fund-management types.
What records do I need to keep?
Invoices and service agreements. The NDIA can ask for them, and reconstructing them later is far harder than filing them as you go.
Related
- Plan-managed How plan management works when you engage an OT, who pays, what the service agreement is for, and what stays the same.
- Older adults How OT supports staying at home safely: falls risk, equipment, bathroom access, and the My Aged Care pathway.
- Neurodevelopmental conditions What an OT assessment covers for autistic adults and people with ADHD or related conditions: function, environment, and evidence.