Australian Government response to the Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme interim report: Provision of hearing services under the National Disability Insurance Scheme
The Joint Standing Committee on the National Disability Insurance Scheme released an interim report: Provision of hearing services under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), in September 2017.
The Australian Government welcomes the Committee’s report as part of the Committee’s inquiry into the implementation, performance and governance of the NDIS.
The Committee’s report focuses on the NDIS access criteria for deaf and hard of hearing people, and access to and delivery of, early intervention services.
In September 2017, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) released revised access criteria guidelines for people with hearing impairment. The Committee’s interim report welcomes the release of the NDIA access criteria guidelines and notes that the revised access criteria for people aged 0-25 years is consistent with the current practices of Australian Hearing. The report notes that the revised guidelines have been broadly welcomed by stakeholders.
The interim report’s six recommendations relate to issues about the availability of services for people who are not eligible for the NDIS, eligibility criteria for determining access to the NDIS, referral pathways for access to early intervention services, and the adequacy and approach of early intervention reference packages for people aged 0 to 25 years of age.
The Australian Government considered the Committee’s recommendations and supports or partially supports all the recommendations made in the report.