NDIS Invoicing Guide for NDIS Providers

A Guide to NDIS Invoicing: Key Requirements for Providers

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is an Australian government initiative that provides support to people with disabilities, their families and caregivers. Launched in 2013, it represents a significant reform in how disability services are funded and delivered in Australia.

NDIS providers play a crucial role in the scheme by delivering support and services to participants. However, to provide these essential services, you need to create and submit an NDIS invoice that includes the specific information required.

The NDIS Invoicing Process Explained

The NDIS invoicing process is essential for ensuring that providers are paid for the services they deliver to participants. Here’s an overview of how the NDIS invoice process works.

Step-by-step process of NDIS invoicing:

If you want to get paid faster, it’s important to make sure you follow the correct process for NDIS invoicing.

Step 1: Service provision

Before you can submit an invoice to the NDIS, you need to provide a service to NDIS participants. It’s important to ensure you have a service agreement in place with the participant detailing the services to be provided, costs and payment terms.

Step 2: Documentation and record-keeping

NDIS providers must keep detailed records of each service provided, including:

• Date and time of service,
• Type of service,
• Duration of service, and
• Any relevant notes about the service delivery.

Step 3: Invoice creation and submission

Once you’ve delivered your service, it’s time to prepare your NDIS invoice. When it comes to preparing your invoice, you’ll need to make sure it complies with NDIS guidelines and the NDIS Pricing Arrangements.

The process for submitting your invoice depends on the type of NDIS participant you’re working with:

• Self-managed participants: Submit your invoice directly to the participant. They will pay you and then claim the amount from the NDIS.
• Plan-managed participants: Send your invoice to their plan manager. The plan manager is responsible for processing the invoice and arranging payment to you as the provider.
• NDIA-managed participants: Submit invoices directly to the NDIA via the NDIS myplace provider portal.

Step 4: Approval and payment process

If you’re working with an NDIA-managed participant and you’ve submitted your invoice through the NDIS myplace provider portal, you’ll be able to see your payment requests in the provider portal. Valid claims will typically be paid directly into your bank account within 2 to 3 business days. However, some claims may be reviewed before the payment is processed.

Once your invoice has been approved, it will be marked as “paid” in the provider portal.

Key Components of a Perfect NDIS Invoice

To ensure you receive payment as soon as possible, you’ll need to include a few key details in your invoice. The following information will help you understand what details you need to include in your NDIS invoice.

Essential Information:

In order to make sure your invoices can be paid faster, it’s important to include these key details:

• Provider’s business name, Australian Business Number (ABN), logo and contact details,
• Invoice number,
• Invoice date, and
• Payment terms.

Participant Details:

• Participant’s name,
• Participant’s reference number or NDIS number, and
• Participant’s address (including postcode) if it’s for specialist disability accommodation.

Service Details:

• Description of services provided,
• Service dates and NDIS support categories,
• Service item codes and pricing, and
• Quantity and unit price.

Payment Details:

• Total amount payable,
• GST component if applicable (most services are GST-free), and
• Bank details and remittance advice.

Best Practices for NDIS Invoicing

Following invoicing best practices for invoicing can help to ensure fast payment and avoid potential delays. Here are a few tips to help you when it comes time to submit an NDIS invoice:

• Ensure your service codes and prices align with the current NDIS pricing limits,
• Check all relevant information is included in each invoice,
• Use consistent and unique invoice numbers,
• Double-check service dates and descriptions,
• Submit your invoices in PDF format, and
• Use clear and concise language.

By adhering to these best practices, providers can ensure a smooth and efficient invoicing process, facilitate timely payments, and maintain compliance with NDIS requirements.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

While we’ve touched on best practices for NDIS invoicing, it’s also worth mentioning a few common mistakes that are important to avoid:

• Inaccurate or incomplete information: Omitting essential details, providing incorrect information or duplicating invoice numbers,
• Non-compliance with NDIS price limits: Using outdated or incorrect service codes that don’t align with the current NDIS Price Guide or including GST where it doesn’t apply,
• Duplicate invoices: Submitting the same invoice more than once or combining multiple invoices in a single document,
• Poor record keeping: Not maintaining detailed records of services provided, including dates, times and descriptions.

By avoiding these common mistakes and following best practices, you’ll be better positioned to ensure a smooth and efficient invoicing process, leading to timely payments and satisfied NDIS participants.

Tools and Resources for Efficient Invoicing

As an NDIS provider or support worker, the invoicing process can take up your precious time. That’s where invoicing software, like the CareMaster NDIS software, can come in handy. Our integrated invoicing software has been tailored to NDIS providers and support workers to help alleviate administrative tasks, providing you with more time to focus on your service delivery for your clients.

The NDIS website has plenty of tool, resources, templates and examples to NDIS providers navigate the invoicing process. You can also take a look at the NDIS’s guide on how to use the myplace portal for assistance with the myplace provider portal.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How to handle rejected invoices?

If your invoice has been rejected, it’s important to review your rejection notification to understand the reason(s) for that outcome. Common reasons for rejection include incorrect or incomplete information, non-compliance with the NDIS pricing or submission errors.

Once you understand why your invoice was rejected, you can fix the errors and update your records to reflect the corrections. Prepare a corrected invoice and resubmit the new invoice through the appropriate channel.

What to do if payment is delayed?

There may be times when payment requests are delayed. Depending on how you initially submitted your invoice, you should be able to check the status of your NIDS invoice via the myplace provider portal, plan manager or directly with the participant. If your payment is delayed due to incorrect information, you’ll need to correct the errors and resubmit the invoice for approval and payment.

Follow up regularly with the NDIA, plan manager or NDIS participant until the payment issue is resolved and keep a record of all communications for reference.

How to adjust errors in submitted invoices?

If you’ve made an error in an invoice, it’s important to rectify the error as soon as possible to avoid further delays to payments. Correct the error identified in the invoice and ensure all details are accurate before resubmitting a new, corrected invoice.

Additional Support and Resources

Whether you’re looking for the NDIS Plan Manager’s contact details or you’re after a little extra guidance navigating NDIS invoicing, you should be able to find the information you need on the NDIS website. If you’re still stuck, you can call the National Contact Centre on 1800 800 110 or email provider.support@ndis.gov.au for help.

As an NDIS provider, precise and timely invoicing is essential for supporting your growth. It ensures steady cash flow, maintains compliance, builds trust, enhances record-keeping, improves operational efficiency, and facilitates better financial planning.

Using a comprehensive software system, like CareMaster, can help you to effectively manage your invoicing so you can focus your time and efforts on supporting your clients. Book a demo to see how CareMaster can help streamline your business.

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