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The National Disability Insurance Scheme is an Australian government initiative designed to provide support and funding to individuals with significant and permanent disabilities.
Over the last few months, the NDIS has been at the forefront of several policy shifts. As Savvy Dietetics, many of the clients we support are NDIS participants, and trying to keep up to date with these changes is a part time job in itself!
What's the news with the new NDIS legislation?
Most recently, the NDIS Amendment Bill 2024 was passed by Parliament on 22nd August 2024. In the government's words, "The passage of the Bill allows us to get on with making the NDIS stronger and improving the experience for participants".
While we know the areas and processes in the NDIS this legislation will affect (see here) and a rough timeframe for each component, there is still significant ambiguity about the finer details of what this will entail for NDIS participants and their health professional team.
How will nutrition and dietetic services & supports be affected?
With NDIS funding, participants can access consults with an Accredited Practicing Dietitian (depending on plan, client goals and funding).
In essence, this will remain, however with the new NDIS funding algorithm which has been implemented to clients undergoing plan review or similar this year, I have seen a trend towards less overall funding for appointments and consumables, especially for clients with conditions like hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (or similar) as a primary disability.
A lesser known part of this is that as Accredited Practicing Dietitians, we can assist our clients in accessing low cost (<$1,500 per item) Nutrition Assistive Technologies. These are usually claimed as consumables.
As health professionals, it is important we use clinical judgement to ensure that all Assistive Technologies recommended are 'reasonable and necessary', align with a participant's NDIS goals and are relevant to their disability and the impairments they meet access for. Implications of not doing this could include being liable for misuse of a participants NDIS funds, resulting in legal action. So it's important we understand what can or can't be claimed, and provide sufficient justification!
What are Nutrition Assistive Technologies?
From my experience working in a private practice dietetic clinic servicing clients with primary disabilities including hEDS, POTS, ME/CFS, Autism and cPTSD, products that we often help clients get funded include:
Laxatives (related to GI motility impacts of hEDS, POTS and/or Autism)
Protein powder and/or Oral Nutrition Supplement drinks (related to swallowing issues, impaired digestion from hEDS/POTS, or sensory preferences and risk of malnutrition with Autism)
High sodium electrolytes (related to POTS or cardiovascular impact of hypermobile blood vessels in hEDS)
Select micronutrient & gut health supplements, depending on a clients individual circumstances and relation to their NDIS disability
Low cost kitchen appliances which help increase capacity for cooking and self care (e.g. an Air Fryer for someone who has limited mobility and cannot reach up/down to use oven or stovetop safely and as a result struggles to cook meals for themselves)
Changes to NDIS supports funding, including Nutrition Assistive Technologies
As part of the legislation passed, the supports that NDIS will fund are changing ('Section 10'). More information is to come, but updated support categories can be found here.
Here is my interpretation of the draft changes (note may not be accurate or reflect what is actually enforced by NDIS!):
Nutrition and dysphagia  related health supports will still be funded, however there are some caveats which are open to interpretation...
The following describes one category of supports that WILL still be funded:
What could this mean?
That Nutrition Assistive Technologies may still be able to be claimed, as long as they are directly related to disability and deemed as 'needed'
From my interpretation, this could look like funding laxatives for a client with hEDS who has experienced repeat fecal loading or impactions, and where not funding these would result in the client not being able to afford them and subsequent risk of bowel obstruction, hospitalisation and further healthcare burden.
The following describes an updated category of supports that WILL NOT be funded:
My interpretation of this:
'Vitamins, sport and athletic supplements' will not be funded
This is open to interpretation. In Dietetic terms, Vitamins only include products like Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin B12 (you get the gist), and do not cover minerals (iron, zinc) or other supplements. However NDIS definition could vary, which leaves opportunity for NDIS auditors and decision makers to deny or question Nutrition Assistive Technologies related to these.
I can appreciate that this point is designed to reduce participants claiming off-the-shelf supplements which are not prescribed by dietitians, and in many cases would not have therapeutic affect or assist in managing their disability.
Exceptions to this are disability-related health supports as defined above, and 'nutritional supplements'
This suggests that vitamins and sport supplements (e.g. Vitamin C for hEDS, and protein powder or high sodium electrolytes for clients who need these to manage aspects of their disability) will still be able to be claimed, however as health professionals we will have to justify their specific therapeutic benefit - which is quite similar to the current process.
S0, what's the verdict?
If you've stuck around this far, congrats. I think we can all agree while NDIS does provide an incredibly valuable service to so many Australians, there are many aspects which are frustrating and challenging to navigate.
While we don't have any concrete answers around funding of Nutrition Assistive Technology and what this will look like in action over the next 12 months, I hope this policy round-up has provided some clarity around what we can expect.
If you are an NDIS participant looking to see what Nutrition Assistive Technology, or if you're looking for a dietetic assessment and report to assist with applying for NDIS, our team at Savvy Dietetics can help. Feel free to reach out via email or book a consult here.
Savvy - Accredited Practicing Dietitian
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