At the Support at Home online Q&A, Nick Morgan (pictured), Assistant Secretary of Support at Home Reform Branch, Department of Health and Aged Care, revealed that home care providers may receive a dollar amount per client for care management as funds that can be pooled.
"The intention is that a dollar amount per client would go into a fund for each provider who's delivering those care management services and that dollar amount per person is higher for people on a higher classification and lower for people on a lower classification," Nick said.
"Flexibility needs to sit at the provider level to be able to invest more with someone when they need it and less when they don't", recognising the "lumpiness" of care management."
Nick also said the draft Support at Home pricing and manual will be out around September - nine months from the start of the program - and that the Government is "looking at" "the equivalent of a Home Care Package Level 5" to start from July 2025.
Nick confirmed the Department will be contacting Home Care and CHSP providers in relation to deeming them over to the new registration categories under the new Aged Care Act in mid to late March.
Nick said he couldn't provide any update on increased consumer contributions "but hopefully that's coming soon," he said. "The Government is still considering the Aged Care Taskforce report."
The 1.5 hour webinar, which Nick hosted alone, was attended by more than 1,000 viewers.
