National Disability Insurance Schemes

It is widely acknowledged that the disability service system is in crisis; there are simply not enough services to meet the increasing needs of people with a disability.

Finding and retaining good quality and well co-ordinated services are most people’s primary goal. Common problems faced by families of children with a disability include significant inadequacies in service availability, insufficient service levels to meet basic needs (let alone to allow children opportunities to grow, learn and contribute to the community to their fullest potential) and service systems that are too complicated.

Two insurance schemes are currently being proposed as a means of addressing these issues: the National Disability Insurance Scheme and the No Fault Catastrophic Injury Insurance Scheme. Developed from the ideas of interested Australians affected by disability, the two proposed schemes share similar goals but have a different focus.

National Disability Insurance Scheme

Who would be eligible?
•    All people with permanent disabilities acquired before the age of 65, without reference to cause or fault and treated equally based on needs.
•    Needs to be assessed using functional (intellectual, physical and behavioural) impairment tests. It is expected that all people with profound or severe disabilities would qualify, while those with moderate or mild disabilities could also qualify depending on their specific needs.
•    As people with disabilities age, assistance would link in with the aged care system.

How could it be funded?
•    Fully funded or at least partially funded through a Medicare-type levy.
•    Existing workers’ compensation, motor vehicle accident and medical indemnity insurance all to continue as no-fault or to be converted to no-fault, with separation of compensation from legal actions for negligence or culpable actions.

What would be the benefits?
Care, accommodation, therapy, support and community access (not income support, which would continue to be provided through the pension system). Services would be based on functional impairment, individual needs and choice.

There would be case management to facilitate independence, maximise potential and plan transitions over the life course. The scheme would provide more timely access to aids, equipment and home modifications. Training, development and access to employment would build self-esteem and reduce long term costs.

No Fault Catastrophic Injury Insurance Scheme

Who would be eligible?
•    People who acquire a disability which results in a ‘catastrophic injury’.

How could it be funded?
•    Through the pooling of premiums received from insurance schemes. It would involve all states and territories having no fault injury schemes in relation to medical indemnity, public liability, motor vehicle insurance and WorkCover.

What would be the benefits?
This initiative would build on existing insurance models to create uniform insurance schemes in every state and territory. These schemes would then be nationally co-ordinated.

Supporters of this scheme believe it should be established before the broader National Disability Insurance Scheme as it provides a single model for how a national disability services framework can be more effectively co-ordinated by the federal government. It is believed it would create momentum within the community for the development of the wider based National Disability Insurance Scheme.

AAFCD believes that every person with a disability should receive appropriate support regardless of the cause of disability. AAFCD supports the need for a funding structure that is consistent across all jurisdictions and therefore supports the national co-ordination of a disability funding model.

Appropriate support is viewed as the level of service and resources needed by a child with a disability to ensure they have equal opportunities to live, learn and contribute to the community and to realise their full potential.

For more information visit www.natdis.com.au

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