Understanding Home Care Package fees and costs
When researching Home Care Packages, understanding what fees you may have to pay can be confusing. While the Australian Government subsidises these packages, the fees you pay depends on your income, assets, personal circumstances, and the provider you choose.
This guide explains how your Home Care Package budget works and outlines the fees you might be required to pay.
Key takeaways
- Your Home Care Package budget includes a government subsidy and any fees you’re required to pay, which vary by provider and your financial situation.
- You may be asked to contribute through various fees such as care management, package management, income tested care fees, and hourly service rates.
- Comparing provider fees can help you maximise your care hours and find the right value for your needs.
What is your Home Care Package budget?
Your Home Care Package budget consists of:
- The Australian Government subsidy (plus any eligible supplements)
- The fees and costs you may be required to contribute
When you are assessed for home care, you receive a package based on your needs. These range from basic support to high-level care.
- Level 1 – Basic care needs – $10,698.15 funding per year
- Level 2 – Low level care needs – $18,812.10 funding per year
- Level 3 – Intermediate care needs – $40,945.70 funding per year
- Level 4 – High level care needs – $62,075.55 funding per year
You may also qualify for additional supplements if you have specific needs such as dementia, enteral feeding, and oxygen therapy.
Learn more about Government funding.
What Home Care Package fees might you be asked to pay?
In addition to the Government subsidy, you will also have to contribute to your home care. You won’t necessarily have to pay all these fees and charges. It will depend on the provider you choose and what your income circumstances are. These are some of the Home Care Package fees that you could be asked to pay.
Care management fee
The care management fee covers the coordination, design, and ongoing management of your care plan. A care coordinator helps match you with the right Helper and manages your schedule and services.
Some providers, such as Five Good Friends, offer self-management options, allowing you to manage your own schedule and book your services.
Package management fee
Package management fees cover administrative costs such as monthly statements, fund management, and compliance activities.
Basic daily fee
A basic daily fee is a cost that only some providers charge. It’s set by the government and ranges from $11.77 to $13.14 depending on your package level. This fee would need to be paid every day even if you don’t receive services on that day.
Some providers, including Five Good Friends, don’t charge the basic daily fee as part of our Home Care Package fees.
Income tested care fee
The income tested care fee is an extra contribution that some individuals will pay, depending on their income assessment. It’s different for everyone and is based on what you earn, including your pension.
Full pensioners and people with an income up to $33,849.40 don’t pay an income tested care fee. The income tested care fee goes directly to your home care provider and goes straight onto your Home Care Package.
Exit fee
Some providers will charge a fee if you choose to leave their services. Five Good Friends does not charge this fee. Amounts will vary across many other providers.
Service hourly rate
Every provider charges different hourly rates for their nursing, cleaning, and personal care services. Things that can affect the cost of these services include the level of expertise (particularly for nursing and respite staff) and whether there are weekend or evening surcharges. The unique Five Good Friends model means hourly rates are 10% lower than what most other providers charge.
Third-party supplier fees
If you choose a service not offered directly by your provider, there may be a surcharge for sourcing and managing that service.
How Home Care Package fees may affect your budget
Your provider will give you a budget that shows your government subsidy, any applicable supplements, and your contribution through fees. This helps to estimate how many hours of care you can receive each week.
For a quick overview, you can refer to our full service and self-managed Home Care Package pricing pages, which estimate weekly care hours based on our standard weekday rates.
The My Aged Care Find a provider tool helps you choose the provider that works best for your budget and care needs. Knowing Home Care Package costs and fees helps you make an informed decision about your home care provider.
Want to learn more about Home Care Package fees and funding? Our team at Five Good Friends can help tailor a care plan to your unique needs.