Reports are suggesting the Federal Government should have thought slightly longer about its newly-unveiled disability insurance scheme, confidential documents have allegedly revealed the agency rolling out the reforms were not at all happy with the name ‘DisabilityCare’.

The Australian Associated Press says it has gained access to documents through Freedom of Information requests which show close to $200,000 in government spending on focus-groups to test possible names. Just 24 disabled people and 32 carers were surveyed, along with 90 random members of the public, to determine the best name for the national disability insurance scheme. 'DisabilityCare' and 'Enable Australia' were the most popular of six titles presented, though 'DisabilityCare' tested poorly with disabled participants.

A briefing document from department officials to Disability Reform Minister Jenny Macklin shows the NDIS agency raised concerns about the name 'DisabilityCare': “The agency is concerned the proposed brand is passive and does not encapsulate the empowering nature of the outcomes sought by the scheme... the use of a name similar to Medicare may confuse understanding of the core intent of the NDIS to offer a holistic and coordinated approach including choice, flexibility and control to eligible people with a disability rather than a universal whole-of-population program offering fixed contributions to individual costs.”

A separate research report said people with disabilities were not in favour of the term "care" being used in the name because they wanted support, not care.