The Commonwealth Government has introduced a new set of guidelines that will affect the way providers charge and disclose prices for home care. From 1 July 2019, all providers will be required to publish their Pricing Schedules on the Australian government website, www.myagedcare.gov.au. The move aims to ensure transparency in pricing and facilitate consumers to understand their choices and to compare providers.
With the new rules, it will be easier for consumers to identify providers that charge a higher-than-necessary administration fee, as they will no longer be permitted to include non-care related administration costs (such as rent, insurance and staff training) into Package Management costs. Instead, such costs will need to be factored into the unit price of the Direct Care and Services fees. This will make it easier to see the all-inclusive cost of delivering services.
As a result of the changes, providers will be required to revise their Pricing Schedules in compliance with the new guidelines. A likely consequence is that there will be an increase in fees charged by home care providers across Australia.
Goodwin supports increased pricing transparency and consumer choice, and assures its clients of a smooth transition to the new pricing structure. For more information about the changes and how they are likely to impact you, visit www.myagedcare.gov.au or speak to your care coordinator.