New NDIS price cap for music and art therapy revealed after review

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Art and music therapists will soon be able to charge participants of the National Disability Insurance Scheme the same rates as counsellors. The decision reduces the price cap on their fees and is part of broader changes to reign in the cost of the scheme.

Transcript

00:00Emma is autistic. For years she struggled with speech and regulating her emotions.

00:16I was really concerned going into school, what that would mean for her socially.

00:22Three years of art and music therapy have helped.

00:25Oh that's a nice one.

00:26She just is coping so much better at school now than she ever would have been.

00:30Art and music therapists have been able to charge a maximum of $194 an hour to NDIS participants.

00:37Last year the Federal Government announced plans to reduce that to $68,

00:42unless they could show it was improving the participants' functional capacity.

00:47Today an independent review recommended it should be $156.

00:51I was trying to balance paying them too low, just as if they were music activities or art activities,

00:58and paying too high which meant it squeezed out these services so other people couldn't get them.

01:03The price cap means music and art therapists will soon be paid the same rates as counsellors,

01:09as long as they are qualified and registered with a recognised professional association.

01:14Dr Duckett's report makes clear that art and music therapy done right,

01:20can be effective and beneficial for people in the right circumstances.

01:24Art and music therapists have welcomed the recognition of their work,

01:28but remain concerned the price cap has been reduced.

01:31It is going to be very difficult for some clinics to remain open, definitely.

01:37The changes will come into effect in late November.

01:40We'll see you in November.

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