What has to be in a mitigation plan to overcome a finding of excessive demand?

A mitigation plan has to set out a credible, specific, and financially realistic way the anticipated cost or service burden will actually be reduced or covered, not just a general promise to manage it. That typically means identifying the exact services expected to be needed, proposing concrete steps to reduce reliance on public programs — such as private insurance, arranged private care, or specific accommodations — and backing each step with evidence that it is genuinely available and affordable, not aspirational.

The plan also needs to address feasibility over the relevant time period, since a plan that looks workable for one year but doesn't account for a lifelong or progressive condition is unlikely to satisfy an officer. Financial capacity matters too: the applicant or their family generally has to show they can actually sustain the proposed private arrangements, not simply state an intention to pay for them.

Because a mitigation plan is assessed critically, generic or vague plans are a common reason these submissions fail. Anyone preparing one should work from the specific medical evidence and anticipated services identified in the officer's concerns, ideally with input from both a lawyer and the relevant care providers, rather than drafting broad reassurances.