The Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority (IHACPA) today released its Consultation Paper on the Pricing Approach for the Support at Home Service List 2025–26.
The Australian Government’s Support at Home program will combine existing in-home aged care services into a single, simplified program designed to assist older people to live independently at home for longer with the support services they require.
The Support at Home program will replace the Home Care Packages Program and Short-‑Term Restorative Care Programme from 1 July 2025.
To support the development of independent in-home aged care pricing and costing advice to the government, IHACPA is seeking input on the proposed approach, methodology and principles to underpin this advice.
All stakeholders are invited to provide their feedback to help shape the development of IHACPA’s Support at Home pricing advice for 2025–26.
The consultation period is open to the public until 5pm AEDT 25 October 2024.
This year, IHACPA is seeking input on pricing policy principles, improvements to the representativeness of the cost collections, price benchmarking, methodology and adjustments, and priorities for future developments.
The consultation provides an opportunity for the aged care community, including older people living at home, their representatives and families, carers, aged care providers, governments, people working in aged care, and peak bodies, to provide their input on the factors that should be taken into consideration when developing pricing advice. This will support greater alignment of funding to the costs of delivering care.
The Pricing Authority Chair, Mr David Tune AO PSM said, ‘We want to listen to the issues that are important to the sector to build our understanding and ensure our advice results in the most accurate and fair pricing that reflects the true cost of delivering safe and quality in-home aged care services.’
‘Input from the aged care community will ensure our advice is representative of the diversity of aged care services, and meets the unique needs and challenges faced by in-home care recipients and providers,’ said Mr David Tune AO PSM.
As more information on the cost of delivering services becomes available, including through ongoing research and the input of stakeholders, IHACPA will refine its pricing advice and investigate future priorities.
The Department of Health and Aged Care will remain the system operators with overall responsibility for aged care policy, including the funding of in-home support services.
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