Reports in the weekend press suggest December 7th is the big, big, NDIS day (see link below) when the Gillard Federal Government will roll out to the states the proposed funding plans for NDIS There are three elephants looming in the COAG room.
- Who will be eligible for services?
- What level of services e.g. reasonable support is agreed?
- Who pays?
Anything less than the Productivity Commission first preference recommendation that “the Federal Government fund the entire cost, directing payments from consolidated revenue into a National Disability Insurance Premium Fund and using an agreed formulae entrenched in legislation” will be a disaster.
Having watched the disasters of the two decade long CSTDA funding model where states and the federal government shared responsibility any other option will be doomed to failure. The Productivity Commission was vitriolic in its recommendations that such a share or pooled option was not in the long term national interest and NDIS responsibility needed to be federally aligned. Let’s hope Gillard has read the productivity commission report!
LINK ("Disability: we've got the sense, now for the dollars")
