Invoice Approval Arrangements

We believe that participants should have control over their NDIS funding and how it is used. We understand that each participant has their own preferences for how much oversight they have on the claims that we process on their behalf. While some participants wish to see every claim before it is paid, other prefer to be less involved with the day-to-day administration of claims. Both preferences are valid, although we still want to ensure that we have a clear understanding of their preferences while balancing that with making sure that we meeting our own audit and compliance requirements. 

We do this by recording each client's preferences using our Invoice Approval Arrangements (IAA) form and the Routine Invoice List. These forms were introduced in 2023, and prior to their introduction, this information was gathered by phone call or email.

Some participants have told us that the options on the form were a little confusing, and they weren't sure which option was the right one for them, and that being able to select multiple options for how approvals were sent, added to that confusion.

We have also heard from providers that extended delays in processing invoices due to approvals not coming through, and having no end point in the approvals process was frustrating, added to their business running costs, and could have a negative impact on their ability to provide services to some participants.

Following this feedback, we have reviewed both the PM Invoice Approval Arrangements (IAA) form and the Routine Invoice List and made some changes. We believe these changes allow for an appropriate amount of time for participants, carer's, and nominees to review and approve invoices, while ensuring that the delay in processing is reduced as much as possible.

We have done this by altering the process we follow when an approval request has not been responded to. The new process looks like this:

1. When an invoice requires approval, we will send an approval request using the preferred option as indicated in your IAA form.
2. If the request is not responded to after 5 days, we send a second approval request using the preferred option as indicated in your IAA form.
3. If the second request is not responded to, we will submit the claim and make payment to the provider when funds are released.

We have updated the PM IAA form to clarify these changes, and to reduce the confusion when selecting preferences for how approval requests are

sent. The updates are as follows:

Manual Approval Process

An extra step has been added to the Manual Approval process and an additional section has been added to clarify the approvals process when an invoice approval request is not actioned for a second time. 

Claiming without approval

If the second approval request attempt is not responded to, we will submit the claim and make payment to the provider. This is to ensure that providers are not left without payment for extended periods of time, which may impact on the continuity of services you receive.

Manual Approval Options

The options for the first and second approval requests have been clarified, and you are restricted to only one option for each request. 

Extra information

We have also added an optional, free text box where you can provide any additional information that you think we need to know.