00:00This is one of Hayden Trainers rare trips into Canberra to see his team of physiotherapists.
00:10Usually, they come to him.
00:12Yeah, so we actually see Hayden once a week in Boorawa, so we have a physio that goes
00:16there once a week and on the alternate week we have an allied health assistant who goes
00:20out there and that just means, yeah, Laura doesn't have to come in, which I know is really
00:26hard for her.
00:27The now six-year-old was diagnosed with cerebral palsy after having a stroke at just three
00:32months old.
00:33For the last six years, he's been a right haemoplegic and faced struggles every day.
00:39Through therapy, Hayden has learnt to walk, dress himself and make his own breakfast.
00:45I think that he'd be completely crippled without all of this intervention that we've done.
00:50We were lucky enough to get streamlined onto the NDIS early.
00:54But new NDIS pricing for physiotherapy means Hayden's home visits are now in doubt.
01:00I think we're all feeling a bit down, a bit deflated, a bit undervalued at the moment
01:06and having to make lots of decisions, really tough decisions.
01:11The National Disability Insurance Agency reviews costs every year and has been hunting for
01:18savings for some time.
01:20This year, some price limits have been lowered to bring them in line with what Australians
01:25not utilising the scheme pay.
01:28From July 1st, physiotherapy will be capped at $184 per hour, a $10 drop.
01:36Dietitian and podiatrist appointments will be capped at $189, a $5 reduction.
01:43And claims for travel will be cut in half.
01:46Miss Caldo's considering overhauling how her clinic operates.
01:51We have to make a decision whether we continue to see children by travelling but then put our
01:57business at a huge financial risk or whether we say, no, sorry, we can't see these clients
02:03and that's an awful decision to be making.
02:05The thought of Hayden's home visits stopping is hard for his mum Laura to contemplate.
02:11It's devastating honestly, like it's just a real kick in the guts. We already have such
02:16a lack of services.
02:16One, two, three, three, three, three, three, three, three, three, four, three, four, three,
02:20John is five years old. He's very cheeky and he lives with a genetic condition called
02:26spinal muscular atrophy.
02:27It's a disorder that causes progressive muscle wasting and means John needs equipment to move,
02:35eat, even sleep.
02:37Occupational therapist Katerina Senga has picked and fitted every piece, a job that's required
02:44regular visits to John at home.
02:47It's more than critical, it's essential. Without having someone able to come to your house,
02:52your child will miss out.
02:54Occupational therapists are facing a seventh year of price freezing. Combined with the looming
03:00travel cuts, Miss Senga had to let her team of therapy assistants go.
03:05We literally had to make phone calls today and let them go.
03:08She is also considering charging a gap fee for out of clinic visits.
03:13For us, the gap fee would be that 50% that the NDIS has taken away.
03:18It's an extra cost John's mum isn't sure the family can afford.
03:23Having a gap fee would mean either we miss out, we can't afford it, therefore John misses out,
03:29or we would have to then prioritise something else that gets missed in order to pay for it.
03:35The NDIA says the changes to hourly rates are modest and ensure participants are paying prices
03:41that are fair and in line with industry standards.
03:44As for the halving of travel claims, the agency insists that's in direct response to feedback
03:50from participants who told them excessive claiming by therapy providers
03:56was draining their plans faster than expected.
03:59Michael Perusco believes it's time for the scheme's pricing to be done independently.
04:05Like aged care, like health, we think it makes a lot of sense for pricing in the NDIS
04:14to be independent. That ensures that people get the support they need
04:20and providers are compensated for the level of complexity of their work.
04:25He says the longer it takes, the bigger the exodus of providers from the sector.
04:29If that occurs, participants suffer and particularly those with the most complex needs
04:37who need the NDIS the most.
04:38Yes, it will look great to save a few billion dollars, but you're saving it on the back
04:43of the most vulnerable people that can't speak up.
04:45A prospect completely at odds with the scheme's very aim.
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