This submission raises concerns that standard unit pricing might not account for the diversity in allied health services, risking service availability and viability, particularly for small providers. It emphasises that pricing must consider quality improvement, compliance, training, and the specific contexts of service delivery, especially for subcontracted allied health professionals.
The submission critiques current data sources as insufficient for accurate cost estimation, recommending a “bottom-up” pricing model used in NDIS.
Additionally, our submission also advocates for incorporating price adjustments based on geographic and client diversity, and urge IHACPA to factor in quality standards, such as the supervision of allied health assistants.