What is an NDIS Account Manager? Breaking down key terms for NDIS participants

July 4, 2022

Have you heard of an NDIS Account Manager? How about an NDIS Accountant? There’s different names for products, providers and services that you might not be aware of. In this blog, we break down some of the definitions of these titles to avoid any confusion. 

What is an NDIS Account Manager? 

An ‘NDIS Account Manager’, is just another title for the role of an NDIS Plan Manager.  

An Account Manager (or Plan Manager, depending on which term you’re more comfortable using) exists to give you complete choice and control over how your funding is managed, while also handling all of the time-consuming paperwork that goes along with it. As an NDIS participant, you have three options when it comes to your plan. 

– you can be your own Account Manager, meaning you self-manage your plan,
– you can choose for your budget to be agency managed by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), or
– you can choose to work with an NDIS registered, independent plan manager like Disability Plan Services. 

We have plenty of articles and resources on what each of these options entail and the pros and cons of each option, but for those new to the world of NDIS, here’s a quick breakdown of the difference between plans that are NDIA-managed/agency-managed, self-managed, or managed by a plan management provider like Disability Plan Services.  

NDIA-managed/agency-managed 

Pros 

• you’ll be able to rely on someone else to handle all the paperwork and coordination of your NDIS plan 
• you can access an online portal to track your budget 

Cons 

• you’re limited to choosing registered NDIS service providers – meaning you may not be able to work with your desired gardener or personal trainer should these services be covered under your NDIS plan.  
• you may not have a say on which service providers are chosen to carry out supports for you 
• prices paid to service providers are non-negotiable, so you may not always get the best deal 

Self-managed 

Pros 

• if you love record keeping and paying bills, you may enjoy the administrative tasks associated with self-managing your NDIS plan! 

Cons 

• you must appoint your own support services and liaise with providers directly 

• you’re in charge of paying all the bills and must keep all records and receipts  
• you must access the online portal to complete online forms each time you pay someone 
• more time-consuming for you, leaving you with less time to do the things you love 

Managed by Disability Plan Services 

Pros 

• our services come at no cost to you – simply ask for additional budget for a registered NDIS Account Manager / Plan Manager at your initial planning meeting 
• we’ll handle the bills and record-keeping on your behalf, ensuring everything is accounted for and paid on time 
• we manage your budget to ensure everything is on track, and provide you with tailored advice on how you can maximise your services 
• we help you prepare for your next planning meeting 

• we explain everything to you in language you can understand 
• we liaise and negotiate with services providers to ensure you’re getting the best deals possible 

Cons 

• if you enjoy paperwork, organisation and negotiating with providers, you’ll unfortunately miss out on doing these tasks as we’ll handle it all for you! 

To learn more about Disability Plan Services’ team of trusty NDIS Account Managers / Plan Managers, click here.   

What is an NDIS Accountant?  

If you’ve never heard of an NDIS Accountant, don’t stress – like the term ‘NDIS Account Manager’, it’s just another name for a Plan Manager. While a plan manager is not an actual accountant, their financial services are akin to having your own personal accounting resource. By receiving all your invoices, paying providers on your behalf, keeping track of your budget helping you prepare for plan reviews, it’s easy to see why some people call plan managers ‘accountants’ instead! 

Now that we know what some of these key terms mean, let’s debunk some other confusing NDIS terminology!  

What’s the difference between the NDIS and the NDIA?  

This is a question we’re often asked at Disability Plan Services. The NDIS stands for National Disability Insurance Scheme and is the legislation that was passed by the government to support Australians with a disability.  

On the other hand, the NDIA is the National Disability Agency, and is the governing organisation which oversees the NDIS. 

1. What’s a plan review, and how does it differentiate from regular meetings with your plan manager?   

An NDIS plan review is your opportunity to meet with the NDIA to discuss how you are progressing towards your goals and make any changes necessary to your disability support services and funding. This meeting usually happens every 12 months, and your plan manager will help you prepare for it to ensure you can communicate clearly what’s working well, and what might need to change. 

Meetings with your plan manager are more about the day-to-day aspects of your plan, rather than the bigger picture. However, your plan manager will be able to help you prepare for any upcoming plan review you have scheduled.  

When you choose Disability Plan Services to manage your plan, there’s no need to be confused by some of the jargon associated with the NDIS. Our friendly team of plan managers is here to communicate everything in easy-to-understand language and organise your NDIS plan – giving you more time to enjoy the things you love doing! When you utilise our plan management services, we ensure you’re using your preferred providers and are getting the most out of your NDIS plan. To learn more about our plan management services, contact us today!