The Australian Government is strengthening protections for older Australians in the Support at Home program, with a new package that responds directly to what we have heard from older people, their families, advocates and providers.
Building on our once-in-a-generation reforms and record investments, the Government will implement new measures to guard older Australians against unfair prices under Support at Home.
The package will build on our work to ensure older Australians get the care that they need at reasonable prices and equip them with more tools to get the most out of the Support at Home program.
Responding to feedback received from community, providers and advocates, the Government will:
- Empower the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission to order refunds for services where providers are found to be overcharging, take regulatory action against providers who are choosing not to meet their clear requirement to issue monthly statements, and regular public reporting on investigations and enforcement action.
- Publish a new National Summary of Support at Home Prices each quarter, showing the median and the range of prices charged by providers so older Australians and their families can see how their provider compares.
- Building on our removal of out-of-pocket costs for showering, dressing and continence services under Support at Home, have the Department and the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission specifically monitor the prices of personal care as they transition into the Clinical Care category.
- Encourage providers to limit the frequency of price increases to no more than two per year, giving older people certainty to budget their packages.
- Convene a working group with the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN), Council on the Ageing (COTA) Australia, Ageing Australia and the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission to focus on three key priorities:
- Establishing a more robust definition of 'reasonable' pricing, giving providers and consumers clearer guidance on their responsibilities and rights.
- Undertaking further consultation on the multi-provider model.
- Developing further guidance and supports for older people who self-manage their packages.
The Government will also provide extra funding to support OPAN to expand financial advocacy, and COTA to provide education and information on consumer protections, including service agreements, aged care rights, and information on how to compare prices. This funding will support older people to understand their prices and get assistance to challenge them when needed.
This package builds on existing Support at Home protections already enshrined in legislation, including the requirement that prices be reasonable and reflect the cost of delivery, and the ban on entry and exit fees.
The Government will also take the time needed to get broader pricing settings right, deferring the implementation of formal price caps until we have greater confidence in the stability of the market.
Price caps can only work if they are set at the right level: high enough to keep the sector viable, low enough to genuinely protect older Australians.
Global volatility and cost pressures are flowing through every part of the aged care supply chain, and setting caps against an unstable baseline of higher than usual prices would risk poor outcomes for older people and providers alike.
Work is already underway to better understand pricing trends across the sector since the new program commenced, and where additional protections may be warranted in future.
At the heart of the Government's reforms is a commitment to quality care for every older Australian, no matter their means. We'll keep listening to older people and their families so we can build an aged care system they can trust to deliver the care they need, close to the people they love and the places they call home.
Attributable to Minister for Aged Care and Seniors, Sam Rae:
"Older Australians and their families told us they need stronger protections against rogue market prices when it comes to Support at Home. We've listened, and we're acting.
"We'll keep working methodically, in the interests of older people, to make sure Support at Home delivers what it promised: quality care, at fair prices, close to home."
