Who Provides NDIS Plan Management with Choice and Contol in Australia
Registered plan managers, including First2Care, can handle the financial administration of your plan managed funding while you choose your support providers. Your plan manager checks claims, pays providers, monitors your budget and keeps financial records. Choice and control applies whether your funding is self-managed, plan-managed or NDIA-managed. However, your provider options depend on your funding-management arrangement and the registration requirements for each support. Your funding must also be used for NDIS supports in line with your plan.
WHAT DOES CHOICE AND CONTROL MEAN UNDER THE NDIS?
Choice and control means having a say in who supports you and how you use your funding within your plan’s requirements. It applies across all three funding-management options, although the options differ in who handles payments and financial records.
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You can choose providers that meet your needs and discuss the support, prices, and service arrangements with them. Provider registration requirements still apply.
DOES PLAN MANAGEMENT INCREASE MY PROVIDER CHOICE?
Compared with NDIA-managed funding, plan-managed funding usually gives you a broader choice of providers. With NDIA-managed funding, you must use registered providers. With plan-managed funding, you can usually use registered or unregistered providers, subject to the requirements for the support.
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Some recent rule changes outlined in the NDIS reforms have some guidelines around which providers need to be registered. You can read about this on the NDIS website.
CAN I CHOOSE AN UNREGISTERED PROVIDER?
Usually, yes, for supports that do not require a registered provider. Some supports have mandatory registration requirements, including specialist behaviour supports, plan management and specialist disability accommodation. Supported independent living also has registration requirements, with transitional arrangements explained by the NDIS Commission.
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Before choosing an unregistered provider, check the requirements for the particular support. Your funding must still be used in line with your plan.
CAN MY PLAN MANAGER TELL ME WHICH PROVIDER TO USE?
No. Choosing your providers is your decision. Your plan manager handles financial administration rather than taking over your provider choices.
However, your plan manager must check that claims align with your plan, budget and NDIS support requirements. They also obtain your approval before submitting claims to confirm that the invoice matches the supports delivered. Choosing a provider or approving an invoice does not replace those checks.
Yes. You can change providers during your plan. Check your service agreement first for the notice period, cancellation terms and any outstanding payments.
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The NDIA recommends finding a new provider before finishing up with your current provider to avoid a gap in support. Tell your plan manager or support coordinator about the change, and check whether relevant portal relationships or service bookings need updates.
Yes. If your funding is already plan-managed, you can change plan managers at any time. Check your current service agreement for notice and handover arrangements before making the change.
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If your funding is self-managed or NDIA-managed, requesting plan management is a different process. You can ask the NDIA to change your funding-management arrangement during your current plan, but the NDIA must agree before updating it.
The First2Care Approach
First2Care is an independent NDIS plan manager. Being independent means we focus on managing your plan's paperwork and payments. We don't deliver therapy, support coordination, personal support or accommodation services, so there's no conflict between recommending a service and processing the invoice for it. The provider decisions stay with you.