MICROTIA & ATRESIA CONFERENCE NDIS FAQs

All children with atresia are eligible for NDIS funding as they have a permanent hearing loss. Our Microtia and Atresia Conferences are accessible with NDIS funding, meaning there can be no out-of-pocket cost to parents as the registration cost is able to be claimed through NDIS.

Your NDIS Plan will be either Self-managed, Plan-managed or Agency-managed.

Self-managed – When you manage your child’s NDIS funding. The NDIA will pay you so you can pay your providers directly. Claims are made via the myplace portal.

Plan-managed – Your funding is allocated to a third party (your Plan Manager) who pays your providers for you.

Agency-managed– Your providers claim directly from the NDIA.

Please make sure you know how your plan is managed prior to registering. As Microtia Atresia Australia is not registered with the NDIA to claim through them directly, we are not able to submit claims for agency-managed families. You can only use NDIS funds for our services if you are self-managed or plan-managed.

If you are mid-plan and want to change, contact NDIS on 1800 800 110 to discuss how you can include plan management in your plan or change to self-managing your plan.

NDIS funding can be used to cover parent/carer training. Conference registration costs are calculated using the NDIS hourly rate. NDIS has a set amount per hour that is claimable for parent/carer training.

Your NDIS funds can be used to cover the registration cost our Microtia and Atresia Conferences as these are parent training events. Microtia Atresia Australia only charges the set NDIS rate for parent training, resulting in no out-of-pocket costs for families. The NDIS item number for Parent Training is 15_038_0117_1_3 and it is claimed under the category CB (Capacity Building) – Improved Daily Activity – Training for Carers/Parents.

We endeavour to make some of the presentations from conferences available to view online after the conference via our Online Library for those unable to attend the conference in person. NDIS funding can also be used to view the recorded presentations if you do not attend the conference in person, as these are still viewed for the purpose of parent training.

Claiming travel under NDIS will depend on individual circumstances and NDIS plans. Generally, the NDIS will not cover travel expenses or transport for parents/carers of a participant. Nor do they fund the cost of travel to attend training workshops or conferences. NDIS funded transport supports include services that build individual capacity to travel independently or additional assistance for children and families who cannot use traditional forms of transport.

For participants who are self-managing their plan, you can choose to pay upfront or be issued an invoice.

If paying upfront at the time of registration, you will be issued with a receipt to claim through the NDIS myplace portal to receive your reimbursement. Reimbursements are usualy received into your account within 24 hours.

If you choose to be invoiced for your registration, an invoice will be emailed to you within 2-3 business days. If you are self-managing, this invoice can be used to create a payment request through the myplace portal. Once claimed, payment will arrive in your nominated NDIS bank account within 24-48 hours, enabling you to pay the Microtia Atresia Australia invoice. Payment is to be forwarded to Microtia Atresia Australia within 7 days. Your registration will not be finalised until your payment is received.

For participants who are plan-managed i.e. have a third party organisation or company who manages their plan and payments for them (but not the NDIA), we recommend discussing our services with your plan manager prior to any purchases. Some Plan Managers will only pay invoices rather than offer reimbursements. If this is the case, we will happily organise an invoice to be sent directly to your Plan Manager on your behalf.  You will need to provide us with your Plan Manager’s details at the time of registration.

Alternatively, if approved by your Plan Manager, you may pay upfront at the time of registration. You will be issued with a receipt to claim your reimbursement through your Plan Manager.

Unfortunately we are unable to claim payments from agency-managed families at this time as we are not registered with the NDIA to be able to do this.  For agency-managed families, you can choose to change the way part of your plan or your whole plan is managed by calling NDIS. By changing part or all of your plan to being self or plan-managed, you can then claim the payment for our services through your NDIS plan. Alternatively, we can offer agency-managed families a discounted registration fee, but unfortunately none of this will be reimbursed by NDIS.

If you have an upcoming NDIS planning meeting, whether it be your first planning meeting or a scheduled plan review meeting, this is a great time to discuss attending a Microtia and Atresia Conference or viewing the presentations online through our Online Library.

The benefits that can be highlighted during the planning meeting include, access to world renowned experts in the field, latest information on microtia and atresia supports and services and connection with other families/supports within the microtia and atresia community.

We can provide you with some information to take to your planning meeting, which will include registration costs. Don’t forget to also allow funds for our Webinars, access to our Online Library as well as other training opportunities from other providers. All of these will fall under the category of Capacity Building funding under the Improved Daily Living – Parent/Carer Training category (15_038_0117_1_3).

Make sure you include scope for our conference and other parent training opportunities as one of your planning goals e.g. “to make informed decisions to support my child and best manage my child’s disability”.

The number of hours required will usually be about 8 hours, but the length of our conferences may vary.

Our Microtia and Atresia Conferences fall under the Capacity Building Supports part of your plan. The price set by the NDIS for Parent/Carer training is $70.87 per hour. An 8 hour conference is billed at a total cost of $566.96. This will include access to the conference for both parents of the child with the NDIS plan.

Our conferences are accessible with NDIS funding, allowing parents to have the registration cost fully covered by their NDIS funds resulting in no out of pocket costs.

For families who are ineligible for NDIS funding or are yet to receive their NDIS plan, Microtia Atresia Australia can offer a reduced registration cost. Contact us at conferences@microtiaatresia.com.au for more information.