Mistakes are commonly seen when invoicing and processing NDIS payments. However, knowing about the factors that cause most mistakes and double-checking them before submitting the invoices can help you avoid making those mistakes.

If you are an NDIS provider, delayed or cancelled payments can leave your business strangled and thousands of rightful people without the care they deserve. That’s why NDIS providers must set an invoicing process that is easy, agile, and error-proof.

If your company hasn't done much work in community care before, or if you're new to the NDIS, invoicing for NDIS payments can be overwhelming. The NDIS has set strict guidelines for what information must be included on an invoice or a refund request to process them accurately and quickly.

This blog will go over some of the most common NDIS payment mistakes and share some great tips to ensure you receive your NDIS payments as quickly as possible.

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Understand how the support is categorised for NDIS payments.

Understanding support categorisation is the first step toward error-free invoicing. NDIS splits funding into three categories:

• Core Supports
• Capacity Building Supports
• Capital Supports

Each support category has many specific supports and services recognised in the NDIS payment system. It’s important to understand where your services or support fits within NDIS categories – because- the NDIS payments system applies a unique line item code for each service.

For example, the line item number for Assistance With Self-Care - Active Overnight - Complex is - 01_018_0104_1_1.

It’s confusing, right? And that’s not all.

While invoicing, you will also be required to add details such as the amount and quantity claimed for each support line item provided, support delivery date, total invoice amount, and GST component.

Creating an itemised invoice of services manually for participant clients is both time-consuming and error-prone. You may automate this procedure with Comm.care’s NDIS invoicing software.

You can create services based on the NDIS price guide using the Comm.care case management system. When allocating shifts and services, you can choose the appropriate support category from those already on the system.

Ultimately, when you need to create your invoices, the software will automatically use the category descriptions and item codes assigned to the services in the appointments and progress notes. You don’t need to worry about typos or other manual data handling issues by the human.

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Check the correct support dates.

With the invoicing or processing of provided NDIS services, any service provider can make the mistake of including incorrect support dates. The service providers don’t just invoice for a set number of hours per month. Every time they provide a service, it must be added to the invoice with a new line, including the correct date. Technically, you are not required to add the time, but it’s a good approach as the price limits differ for daytime and evening services.

Therefore, it is vital to record a service carefully when you or your team members provide a service. A digital record can aid you in avoiding issues.

With the Comm.care, care management tool, you can clock in and out and document progress notes on the go with pre-populated fields from the appointments. This creates not only a fail-proof record, but also makes invoicing so simple.

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Leverage bulk claims for NDIS payments.

NDIS registered providers can upload payment requests in bulk through the NDIS portal. Making a bulk payment request for the NDIS is simple. NDIS providers only need to upload a single file to the provider portal instead of submitting multiple requests per service booking per participant.

Bulk claims reduce time and effort while also eliminating the possibility of human error. Consider the following instance to gain a better understanding:

Let's assume that your NDIS business serves a total of ten individuals. Throughout the month, each participant has one service appointment per week. You would have to make 40 payment requests during the month if they were done separately (four per client x 10).

Submitting these many invoices at once is prone to silly errors like submitting the wrong invoice file or skipping one altogether. Plus, one can’t disregard the probability of code errors and typos when filing many invoices.

Making an NDIS bulk payment request makes logical sense, and it also saves on unneeded paperwork, human errors, and administrative tasks, as seen in the preceding case. The good news is that Comm.care makes bulk claims click-easy.

With Comm.care’s claiming and reporting features, you can easily filter services, extract activity reports & ready-to-upload NDIS bulk payment requests that can be emailed to clients or their plan managers.

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Stay updated with a participant's plan.

The NDIS provides complete choice and control to participants when it comes to who they want as a service provider. No matter what stage of the plan or scheme, the participants have the freedom to switch providers as per their convenience and need.

As a result, it is critical for concerned NDIS service providers to regularly keep in touch or interact with their participants to stay well-informed about changes to particular participants' NDIS plans or choices. Otherwise, it may cause conflicts during billing and payment processing for given services.

Comm.care's 'Circle of Care' feature is designed to make communication seamless between you, plan managers, and clients. You can comment and see updates in real-time ensuring- unmatched transparency and collaboration in client care. It also provides expiry notifications that can help you stay on target. Not only will it let you check funds utilisation in real-time but also you will be able to forecast spending and adapt care plans based on that information. You will be notified if a client’s funds run out.

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Provide accurate business information.

When filing your invoices, cross-check and confirm that it has all the information necessitated by the NDIS. As per the latest NDIS price guide, in addition to the service's details that include:

• The total duration of services (no of hours served)
• Agreed hourly rate for services provided
• Support item number for each service
• Date and time of service delivery

The invoice must also include:

• NDIS business name and ABN number
• Contact details(including business address and phone number)
• Invoice number and invoice date
• Details about the participant, including their NDIS number (Reference number)
• Payment terms and deadlines (Optional)
• If applicable, the GST component of the total invoice amount (most services are GST free)

Comm.care prefills all the necessary detals while creating claims and invoices making it a one-stop-shop for care coordination and NDIS compliance. You can manage participants' information, care plans, and support budget-all from one single platform.

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Don't ignore these little details.

• Double-check Participants' NDIS Plan Dates: Participants' plans may expire in the middle of the invoicing period, causing invoices to be rejected or payments to be delayed.
• Exceeding a Client’s Funds: Surpassing a client's funds will prompt unbillable hours. The entire invoice is rejected in this case.
• Do Not Exceed NDIS Price Limits: Invoicing above the item's price limit increases the likelihood of your invoices being rejected
• Include Accurate Dates: For every service you provide, it's important to record the correct date.

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The importance of an accurate NDIS invoice.

NDIS payment mistakes can significantly impact providers' ability to operate, plan and grow. When it comes to payments, NDIS has no room for guesswork or human error. The invoicing has to be accurate to the last detail. You will not only get paid faster if your invoices are NDIS compliant, but you will also have a lower chance of having your claim denied!

Comm.care client and case management platform makes NDIS invoicing a breeze for providers like you. Use Comm.care's bulk claiming feature to streamline the claim process and seek payment directly from the app to the client or their plan manager.

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The bottom-line.

Invoicing errors will not only jeopardize your business's operations and growth, but they will also hinder you from assisting more people with service needs.

Pnyx's Comm.care is a full-featured client and case management solution that helps care organizations manage their employees, clients, and appointments, as well as administrative tasks such as reporting and auditing.

With Comm.care, we take the stress out of running your NDIS business so you can focus on what you do best: meeting the needs of your clients while giving them more freedom and choice that they truly deserve.

Book a demo to explore how Comm.care can help you get paid faster!