Home-based care
Rural and Remote Viability Supplement for Community Care Programs
In the 2006 Federal Budget the Australian Government committed $19.4 million over four years to the Community Aged Care- Viability Supplement in Rural and Remote Areas to provide a new viability supplement to providers of Community Aged Care Programs (CACP), Extended Aged Care at Home (EACH) and EACH Dementia (EACHD) programs, the Multi Purpose Services (MPS) and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) Flexible Care programs in rural and remote areas of Australia. This viability supplement recognises the higher costs associated with attracting and retaining staff and other resource implications faced in providing community care services in rural and remote areas.
New budget initiative
In the 2006 Federal Budget the Australian Government committed $19.4 million over four years to the Community Aged Care- Viability supplement in Rural and Remote Areas to provide a new viability supplement to providers of Community Aged Care Programs (CACP), Extended Aged Care at Home (EACH) and EACH Dementia (EACHD) programs, the Multi Purpose Services (MPS) and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) Flexible Care programs in rural and remote areas of Australia.This viability supplement recognises the higher costs associated with attracting and retaining staff and other resource implications faced in providing community care services in rural and remote areas.
Developing a model to distribute the Viability Supplement
To develop a model for distribution of the viability supplement, the Department worked in consultation with a reference group consisting of representatives from five organisations that provide services to rural and remote areas. It was determined that the viability supplement would need to be based on care recipient location and that payment systems would need to be modified to allow for the collection of this data.Eligibility and amount of supplement
Providers of CACPs, EACH and EACHD may be able to receive the viability supplement. Eligibility is determined by the Accessibility / Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA) score of a care recipient's location. Service providers will receive a daily supplement for each care recipient living in an eligible location. The amount of supplement will vary according to the remoteness of the location.Payments of the viability supplement for MPS and ATSI Flexible Care programs are made according to service outlet location. Eligibility is determined by the ARIA score of the service outlet location. MPS and ATSI Flexible Care programs located in eligible regions will receive a daily supplement for each community care place they are funded to provide.
CACP, EACH and EACHD care recipients and MPS and ATSI Flexible Care service outlets located in regions with an ARIA score above 3.51 are eligible to receive the viability supplement. The following table shows the amount of daily supplement providers will receive for each eligible care recipient according to the ARIA score of the location.
Rural and Remote Viability Supplement for Community Care Programs | |
ARIA Score | Amount of Daily Supplement |
| ARIA score of > 0 to 3.51 inclusive | $0 |
| ARIA score of > 3.52 to 4.66 inclusive | $2.66 |
| ARIA score of > 4.67 to 5.80 inclusive | $3.20 |
| ARIA score of > 5.81 to 7.44 inclusive | $4.48 |
| ARIA score of > 7.45 to 9.08 inclusive | $5.38 |
| ARIA score of > 9.09 to 10.54 inclusive | $7.53 |
| ARIA score of > 10.55 to 12.00 inclusive | $9.03 |
Accessibility / Remoteness Index of Australia (ARIA)
The ARIA comprises five accessibility categories:- Highly Accessible (ARIA score 0 - 1.84) - Relatively unrestricted accessibility to a wide range of goods and services and opportunities for social interaction.
- Accessible (ARIA score >1.84 - 3.51) - Some restrictions to accessibility of some goods, services and opportunities for social interaction.
- Moderately Accessible (ARIA score >3.51 - 5.80) - Significantly restricted accessibility of goods, services and opportunities for social interaction.
- Remote (ARIA score >5.80 - 9.08) - Very restricted accessibility of goods, services and opportunities for social interaction.
- Very Remote (ARIA score >9.08 - 12) - Locationally disadvantaged, very little accessibility of goods, services and opportunities for social interaction.
Additional information on the development and methodology of the ARIA can be found on the Department's website at: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/ECF75BE371332ADACA25733E000FA70E/$File/ocpanew14.pdf
Payments of the Viability Supplement to providers of CACPs, EACH and EACHD
Although the viability supplement came into effect on 1 January 2007, it has been necessary for Medicare Australia to make changes to existing payment systems in order to pay the viability supplement to providers of CACPs, EACH and EACHD. Medicare Australia have advised that changes to the payment systems will be implemented on 23 June 2007 and payments for the viability supplement will be able to be made in the first claim processed after this date. Initial payments will include adjustments back to 1 January 2007.In early May, Medicare Australia will send a letter to all organisations that provide CACPs, EACH and EACHD services. This letter will include a list of care recipients who are currently receiving services or have received services since 1 January 2007. Providers will be asked to check the location details listed for each care recipient and to make amendments where necessary.
It is important that even if there are no changes, providers return the list of care recipients and their locations to Medicare Australia by 1 June 2007 to allow payments to commence from 23 June onwards. If the list is not returned, eligibility will not be established and payments will not be able to be made. Although it will not be compulsory, organisations are encouraged to provide location details for all care recipients to Medicare Australia. As some organisations in accessible locations provide services to care recipients in rural and remote areas this will ensure they do not miss out on receiving the supplement for any eligible care recipients.
Medicare Australia will accept changes to the list of care recipients' location details in an electronic format if providers find it easier to return the information in this way. From May 2007 an additional page will be attached to the claim form to allow for care recipient locations and amendments to be recorded in each claim.
As payments for MPS and ATSI Flexible Care programs are not dependent on the collection of care recipient data, payments to eligible services have already commenced.
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