Publications
Payment Essentials July 2007
The July 2007 Payment E$$ential$ newsletter designed to keep financial officers within Residential Aged Care Services (RACS) informed of changes to all payment related forms and processes for residential aged care. It has been redesigned and renamed Aged Care Essentials.
You may download this document in PDF format
Payment Essentials July 2007 (PDF 413 KB)
Payment Essentials
Would you like to see an article on a particular topic?
Email the Editor at agedcare_essentials@health.gov.au or send a facsimile to (02) 6289 8595.Past issues can be accessed via our web page at: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/ageing-rescare-payessdx.htm
Editor
Combining Residential Aged Care Services
Combining residential aged care services is the administrative process whereby two or more aged care services located adjacent to each other (with all their approved places) are combined into one aged care service. For the purposes of combining aged care services, adjacent is taken to mean, to be on the same site or share a common boundary. A combined residential aged care service is not treated as a new service; it is a variation of an existing service.The application form for use by approved providers to combine residential aged care services, 'Application For a Variation of Conditions of Allocation For Residential Care Places For Combining Homes' is available on the Department's Internet site at: http://www.health.gov.au/agedcareforms
To fully complete the application form and better understand the combining process, approved providers need to read the document, 'Information for approved providers applying to combine Australian Government funded residential aged care services' (information document) which is available with the application form.
The application form and information document list a range of matters that approved providers may need to take into account when deciding whether to seek approval to combine their residential aged care services. Providers may need to seek independent advice on the effects of combining services.
Application forms may be submitted to the Allocations Management area in the Aged Care Branch of the Department's State or Territory office where the aged care services are located.
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Continence Aids Assistance Scheme (CAAS) Changes From 1 July 2007
The Australian Government is widening eligibility for the Continence Aids Assistance Scheme (CAAS), from 1 July 2007. The scheme assists eligible people who have permanent and severe incontinence to meet the cost of continence products.Previously, CAAS was only available to people aged between 16 - 64 years, with a neurological cause for their incontinence. From 1 July 2007, eligibility will be expanded to include people aged five or older. Eligibility will also extend to people who hold a Pensioner Concession Card and who have a non-neurological cause for their incontinence.
CAAS is administered on behalf of the Australian Government by Intouch, the commercial arm of the Spinal Injuries Association Incorporated. CAAS clients receive a subsidy of up to $470 per year on continence products ordered through Intouch.
Recipients of Australian Government funded aged care
The changes to CAAS will see some existing residents of aged care homes become eligible for assistance.People who are living in Australian Government funded low level residential aged care or who are receiving a Community Aged Care Package in their home, are able to apply for CAAS, provided that they meet the CAAS eligibility criteria.
If someone is living in an Australian Government funded aged care home, and receiving high level care, or is receiving an Extended Aged Care at Home (EACH) package whilst still living in their own home, they will not be eligible for CAAS, as the home or EACH/service provider is required to provide appropriate continence products.
CAAS application process
CAAS application forms are available from the CAAS Helpline on 1300 366 455 or can be downloaded from www.intouchdirect.com.au or www.bladderbowel.gov.auThe CAAS application form includes a health report from an appropriate Health Professional, a person who is in a position to make an accurate assessment of the applicant in relation to their incontinence, and the cause of this incontinence. This may be the applicant's general practitioner, medical specialist, continence nurse, community nurse or physiotherapist.
Aged care homes can lodge CAAS application forms on behalf of residents, provided that the application has been signed by the applicant and the health report has been completed by an appropriate Health Professional. Depending on individual circumstances, it may be practical for care managers to place CAAS orders on behalf of applicants.
Help and further information
For more information on CAAS, or to request a CAAS application form, contact the CAAS Helpline on 1300 366 455 or visit www.intouchdirect.com.au or www.bladderbowel.gov.auRegistrations Are Closing Soon For ITAC 2007
'Make It Work For You'
In May we advised you of the inaugural National IT in Aged Care (ITAC) Conference 2007, which is being held in Melbourne on 23-25 July 2007. Registrations are still open but will be closing soon.ITAC is aimed at demonstrating how the proper implementation and utilisation of information technology can support effective and high quality delivery of aged care services. It includes a workshop that will assist those interested in planning for and investing in technology for their organisation as well as a series of product demonstrations and presentations that cover leadership and enablement, awareness and education, implementation and benefits realisation.
More than 300 delegates are expected to attend, including key stakeholders in the aged care industry, Chief Executive Officers, Senior Managers, Industry Partners, Administrators, Directors of Nursing, Hostel Supervisors, Care Managers, Carers and Operation staff.
The National IT Conference is supported by the Department of Health and Ageing and is an initiative of the National Aged Care Industry Alliance, incorporating Aged Care Association Australia (ACAA) and Aged and Community Services Australia (ACSA).
For more details, including the conference program and how to register, visit www.agedcareassociation.com.au contact the conference manager Ms Jane Murray on (03) 9437 2121 or email itconference2007@acic.net.au
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Pre-Entry Leave
Up to seven days of 'pre-entry leave' are available for people entering residential aged care directly from the community (e.g. from their family home or hospital). This provides time for them to make arrangements for their entry into an aged care home. The pre-entry leave days are deducted from the resident's social leave days.Pre-entry leave days may also be claimed where a person is moving from one aged care home to another but, because the new home is in a distant location, it takes the resident a few days to travel to that new home.
It should be noted that, where applicable, the income-tested fee will apply for the resident on the 29th day after admission to permanent care, including any pre-entry leave days.
It would be helpful if service providers could provide details about pre-entry leave on the Resident Entry Record (RER) when the RER is forwarded to the local Aged Care Payments Team in Medicare Australia.
For more information about Pre-Entry Leave, see section 6.3.1.2.3 of The Residential Care Manual.
Which Aged Care Residents Are Eligible For Allied Health And Dental Services Under Medicare?
Medicare rebates are available for certain services provided by eligible allied health professionals, dentists and dental specialists for people who have chronic conditions and complex care needs, and who are being managed by their GP under an Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) plan. Care plans developed for residents of aged care homes, where GPs contribute to a multidisciplinary care plan and claim using the Chronic Disease Management (CDM) item (731) are eligible 'EPC plans'. Further details about item 731 can be found on the Department of Health and Ageing website, as detailed below.A Medicare rebate of $46.80 per service is available for up to five (5) allied health services per eligible resident per calendar year. In addition, people whose dental problems are exacerbating their chronic condition may be eligible to receive a Medicare rebate of $77.95 per service, for up to three (3) eligible dental care services per calendar year.
In respect of residents assessed as low care, approved providers are required to assist residents to access health practitioner and therapy services, including arranging for the practitioner or therapist to visit the home if necessary. This level of assistance must be provided at no cost to the resident; however, the resident may be asked to bear the actual cost of the service. Low care residents for whom eligible EPC plans are in place are eligible for the Allied Health and Dental Care rebates in respect of those services recommended in their EPC plans.
While all residents (where the GP has contributed to their care plan and made an appropriate referral) are eligible for relevant allied health services under Medicare, in most cases high care residents should already be receiving all the necessary care and services to meet their assessed care needs, except dental care, at no additional cost over and above the resident fee allowed under the Aged Care Act 1997 (see Schedule 1 of the Quality of Care Principles 1997). In practice, this means that high care residents would not routinely need to be referred for allied health services under Medicare as the aged care home is expected to provide such specified care and services to residents as part of their normal care responsibilities.
In summary, these allied health Medicare services are not intended to replace any services already expected to be provided at no additional cost by an aged care home as a requirement of the Aged Care Act 1997. They are intended to augment existing services and add to the health care referral options for residents of aged care homes with chronic conditions and complex care needs.
Further Information
Further information on the Chronic Disease Management (CDM) items can be found at: www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/pcd-programs-epc-chronicdiseaseor by:
- • going to the Department of Health and Ageing website http://www.health.gov.au
• clicking on the 'A-Z Index' option at the top of the page; and
• clicking on 'C', and then clicking on 'Chronic Disease Management Medicare Items (new from 1 July 2005).
Information on the allied health and dental care items available under Medicare can be found at www.health.gov.au/epc or in the Medicare Benefits Schedule Allied Health and Dental Services supplement – November 2006
Further information on Schedule 1 of the Quality of Care Principles 1997 (Specified Care and Services) can be found at: www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/ageing-legislat-aca1997-prindex.htm-copy2
or refer to Chapter 12 of The Residential Care Manual.
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Information Lines
There are now two information lines available to assist aged care service providers.Aged Care Information Line 1800 500 853
The Aged Care Information Line provides information to aged care service providers and the general public about fees, charges, publications, programs and procedures for Australian Government funded residential and community care options.The hours of operation are 8.30am to 5pm Eastern Standard Time Monday to Friday and closed on national public holidays.
Medicare Australia Aged Care Claims 1800 195 206
Medicare Australia has established a single number for Aged Care processing and online claiming enquiries. This provides faster and more streamlined services from Medicare Australia.Aged Care providers can call one number about all claiming and processing enquiries as well as online claiming information and technical enquiries.
The hours of operation are 8.30am to 5pm Eastern Standard Time Monday to Friday and closed on national public holidays.
2007 Annual Prudential Compliance Statements
For most approved providers 30 June 2007 was the end of their financial year. It is therefore timely for approved providers to make arrangements to complete their Annual Prudential Compliance Statement (APCS). The APCS must be lodged within four months of the end of an approved provider's financial year – 31 October 2007 for those operating with a30 June financial year end.
The content of the APCS has changed and the Department will distribute the new APCS in mid-July 2007. The new APCS reflects the significant amendments to the prudential requirements in 2006, which included the introduction of the three Prudential Standards - the Records Standard, Liquidity Standard and the Disclosure Standard. Key changes to the APCS include:
- completion at the approved provider level rather than for each residential care service as has been the case in past years. This reduces by two-thirds the total number of statements to be completed across the industry.
- the collection of quantitative information on accommodation bond and entry contribution holdings for the services operated by each approved provider; and
- approved providers will be required to attest to their compliance against each of the three Prudential Standards.
Commencing this year, approved providers are required to have their APCS audited and to submit the audit report with their APCS. A Guide to Audit of the Annual Prudential Compliance Statement will be provided with the APCS to assist approved providers in engaging with their auditors. It is important that approved providers make early contact with their auditors to ensure arrangements are in place for the timely lodgement of their APCS.
The auditing requirements have been designed to enable approved providers to have their General Purpose Financial Reports (part of the Conditional Adjustment Payment requirements) and the APCS audited by the same registered company auditor (or an alternative auditor approved by the Department). While this is not a requirement, it should enhance the efficiency of the APCS audit and assist in managing the overall audit cost.
Approved providers should note that an auditor who is not a registered company auditor may only be used if the approved provider obtains approval from the Department under the Residential Care Subsidy Principles. The Department will not routinely approve an alternative person to audit the financial report or APCS. Further information on approval of auditors is provided in the APCS.
If you have any queries please email prudential@health.gov.au
Workshops for Securing the Future of Aged Care for Australians
Throughout May and June the Department ran a series of information workshops on the Government's $1.6 billion Securing the future of aged care for Australians package. Workshops were held in every capital city and in a number of regional areas to assist providers to understand the various components of the package and assess their impact before March 2008 when the majority of the changes commence.The workshops covered the package as a whole, with a focus on the residential aged care components of the package, including accommodation payments and fees, changes to income tested care fees, and the new Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI).
There were a total of 27 workshops which were exceptionally well attended with an average of 50 participants at each session, or more than a thousand in total.
In addition to the workshops, a series of questions and answers on the package have been developed along with a set of Information Sheets that provide further detail on the various components of the package. This information is available on the Department's website at: www.health.gov.au/feesandcharges
The website also includes a series of Fact Sheets on the package, a copy of the presentation used at the workshops, a calculator to enable providers to explore at the level of the individual resident those fees and subsidies that would have applied under current arrangements with those that will apply from 20 March and an email address to which people can send any further queries.
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Medicare Australia is Changing the Authorisation Process to Make Claiming Easier for Aged Care Services.
From 1 September 2007, the authorised signatory form will be replaced with an annual aged care approved provider statement (and associated terms and conditions). An approved provider simply signs the document to state that appropriate business and security controls are in place. This ensures all aged care claims and forms submitted to Medicare Australia for processing are appropriately authorised. There is no need to send in specimen signatures. Forms and claims will still have to be signed—any unsigned claims or forms will continue to be returned for signature.Aged care services using online claiming will need to submit an annual aged care approved provider statement in addition to the current online claiming authorisation form. The online claiming authorisation form is used by providers to register for online claiming and to request authority to view access-only information and/or for data lodging purposes.
Medicare Australia wrote to all aged care approved providers in early July 2007 to outline the new process and provide a copy of the new statement as well as some additional information. This financial year (2007/08), the new statement must be completed and returned to Medicare Australia by 30 August 2007, for implementation on 1 September. For financial years 2008/09 onwards, Medicare Australia will post a provider statement in April each year, for submission back to Medicare Australia by 30 June of that same year. Please be aware that a completed provider statement must be returned to Medicare Australia for each service than an approved provider operates.
If you have more than one service, you can download additional copies of the provider statement from Medicare Australia's website at www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/aged
The new process will make dealing with Medicare Australia easier and more efficient for the aged care industry.
One Phone Number for Aged Care
From 20 May 2007, Medicare Australia consolidated its aged care claims processing and online claiming enquiry numbers into one national number.The national enquiry number is 1800 195 206.
Since the introduction of the new single phone number on 20 May 2007, it has been identified that there is still a large number of providers making calls using the old individual state numbers. While these calls are currently being transferred to the new number, this redirection is due to cease shortly.
Please ensure that all your staff who phone Medicare Australia's aged care state based processing teams, use the new number 1800 195 206.
FAQ About Basic Daily Care Fees
Question: There have been increases to the maximum basic daily care fees since implementation of the aged care reforms in October 1997. What have been the amounts?Answer: The amounts are detailed in the following table. The maximum basic daily care fee increases six monthly in line with the increases to the pension.
Maximum basic daily care fees:
Period | Pensioner (and part pensioner) RATE* | Self-Funded Retiree (non pensioner) RATE* |
 | $ | $ |
| 1 October 1997 – 1 April 1998 | 21.10 | 26.40 |
| 2 April 1998 – 30 September 1998 | 21.52 | 26.91 |
| 1 October 1998 – 31 March 1999 | 21.69 | 27.11 |
| 1 April 1999 – 29 September 1999 | 21.94 | 27.42 |
| 30 September 1999 – 29 March 2000 | 22.25 | 27.80 |
| 30 March 2000 – 19 September 2000 | 22.58 | 28.21 |
| 20 September 2000 – 19 March 2001 | 23.00 | 28.73 |
| 20 March 2001 – 19 September 2001 | 23.46 | 29.30 |
| 20 September 2001 – 19 March 2002 | 23.96 | 29.92 |
| 20 March 2002 – 19 September 2002 | 24.63 | 30.76 |
| 20 September 2002 – 19 March 2003 | 25.08 | 31.31 |
| 20 March 2003 – 19 September 2003 | 25.73 | 32.12 |
| 20 September 2003 – 19 March 2004 | 26.47 | 33.05 |
| 20 March 2004 – 19 September 2004 | 27.15 | 33.89 |
| 20 September 2004 – 19 March 2005 | 27.54 | 34.36 |
| 20 March 2005 – 19 September 2005 | 27.86 | 34.76 |
| 20 September 2005 – 19 March 2006 | 28.62 | 35.69 |
| 20 March 2006 – 19 September 2006 | 29.25 | 36.48 |
| 20 September 2006 – 19 March 2007 | 29.98 | 37.38 |
| Starting from 20 March 2007: | 30.77 | 38.35 |
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Extra Service Status For Residential Aged Care Homes Invitation To Apply
The Secretary of the Department of Health and Ageing invites approved providers of residential aged care to apply for Extra Service status in 2007.Applications are to be sent to the Central Office of the Department - see address below:
Closing Date | Applications will be accepted between: |
| Friday 14 September 2007 | 31 August 2007 and 14 September 2007 |
All applicants must complete the approved application form. The application form and guidelines are available on the Department's internet site at:
www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/ageing-rescare-ess-essprov.htm
It will be to an applicant's advantage to send in sufficient text and material evidence to support the claims made in the application. If the documentation cannot be downloaded from the internet, please contact the Aged Care Information Line on 1800 500 853 to obtain a copy. The Information Line is open from 8.30am to 5pm Eastern Standard time (Monday to Friday).
The Minister for Ageing has determined under section 32-7 of the Aged Care Act 1997 that the maximum proportion of residential care places allocated in each State and Territory that may be Extra Service places is 15 per cent.
Postal Addres:
Extra Service ApplicationsResidential Program Management Branch
Department of Health and Ageing
MDP 75
GPO Box 9848
CANBERRA ACT 2601
Street Address:
Extra Service Applications Residential Program Management Branch
Department of Health and Ageing
MDP 75Ground Floor Reception
Alexander Building
Furzer Street
WODEN ACT 2606
Please submit the Benchmark List section of the application form for approval of Extra Service status in electronic format as well as in hard copy to facilitate the publication of successful Extra Service packages on the Departmental website. When sending the Benchmark List, the List should be marked with the name of the facility and its location.
Commercial-in-confidence information which appears elsewhere in the application form should not be sent to the Department in electronic format. Electronic copies of the Benchmark List are to be sent to the following e-mail address:
ESS Applications and Inquiries@health.gov.au
Should providers approved for Extra Service status, who were not approved under the Extra Service Benchmarks, wish to have their list of approved Extra Services published on the website, they can also submit their information to the above e-mail address.
2007 Survey Of Aged Care Homes
The 2007 Survey of Aged Care Homes is being held from mid-August to mid-September this year.The Department has telephoned each approved provider in June to confirm contact details of the person who would take responsibility for the provider's Survey response. The questionnaires will be circulated at the beginning of August. This will allow time for residential aged care providers to prepare and send in their responses.
The questionnaire for the Survey will be the same as for last year. In 2005 the questionnaire was revised to reduce the number and complexity of the questions, so that many respondents need now reply to only a few questions.
Each year's Survey of Aged Care Homes seeks information on accommodation payments and building activity during the previous financial year. The Department gathers this information to prepare the annual Report on the Operation of the Aged Care Act 1997. The Minister for Ageing is required by Section 63-2 of the Aged Care Act 1997 to present this report to Parliament by 30 November 2007.
There will be more information in future issues of Payment E$$ential$. You may also find more information from the Department's website (to be updated in July for 2007 Survey) at http://www.health.gov.au
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Relocation of Medicare Australia's Victoria Processing Office
From 25 July, our Victoria processing office will be relocating to 595 Collins Street, Melbourne. Their postal address, telephone and fax number will remain the same.Online Claiming and ACFI
There seems to be confusion around what forms will be available to lodge online and in what format. Medicare Australia in conjunction with software vendors has two channels available to send your claim related data and claims. They are a file upload channel and a business to business (B2B) channel. To transmit data using either of these channels you will need a software vendor to provide you with approved and tested software.With the introduction of the Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI) in March next year you will be able to send ACFI related data (forms) to Medicare Australia via three channels. File upload and B2B (both with software provided by a software vendor) and by means of a web based form. The web based method will require access to the internet (preferably broadband) and registration with Medicare Australia's Online Claiming channel.
Extensive communications explaining how to register and how to send ACFI related data (forms) to Medicare Australia through these channels will occur towards the latter half of 2007 and early 2008.
Introduction of viability supplement for community based care
Viability supplement payments for community care will be made in the first claim processed after 23 June 2007 for eligible services that have returned the location details of their carerecipients. Initial payments will include any entitlements back to 1 January 2007.From 23 June 2007 an additional page will be included with the CACP and EACH claim forms. This page allows providers to record location details of new care recipients and amendments to existing care recipient locations. After location details have been processed as part of the claim, the next claim form will be pre-populated with these details and an indicator as to whether the location was invalid. Viability supplement is not payable for an invalid location. If a care recipient's location has not changed, it will not be pre-populated on the claim form.
The CACP payment summary will show viability supplement for eligible care recipients, on a separate line under the basic subsidy with a subsidy type of 'CV'. EACH and EACH Dementia payment statements will show viability supplement on a separate line with a payment type of 'Viability'.
A list of valid locations is available on Medicare Australia's website at: www.medicareaustralia.gov.au From the homepage, select the Heath Care Providers
link and then the aged care link from the quick find menu. Further details on eligibility criteria and payment rates for the viability supplement are available on the Department of Health & Ageing's website at:
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/ageing-cacp-ruralremote.htm
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Removal Of Adjusted Subsidy Reduction For Residential Aged Care Services That Are No Longer In The Government Sector.
What is adjusted subsidy reduction?
The amount of the daily residential care subsidy payable to an approved provider for the provision of residential care is set out in the Aged Care Act 1997 (the Act). The Act also specifies the circumstances by which the daily subsidy may be reduced, one of which is the adjusted subsidy reduction.Historically, homes operated by State and Territory Governments were subject to the adjusted subsidy reduction. The adjusted subsidy reduction has continued to apply even when these aged care places have been transferred to non-Government providers.
What are the changes to the adjusted subsidy reduction?
On 11 February 2007, as part of the package of reforms Securing the future of aged care for Australians, the Australian Government announced that from 1 July 2007, it would remove the adjusted subsidy reduction from residential aged care places that are no longer in the government sector.For example, assuming a transfer from the government to the non-government sector on 1 March 2005, the current non-government provider will have the adjusted subsidy reduction continue to apply until 30June2007. The places will become fully funded with effect from 1 July 2007.
Places affected by the adjusted subsidy reduction that are transferred to the non-Government sector after 1 July 2007 will have the reduction removed effective from the date of transfer.
Aged care places that are operated by State or Territory Governments will continue to have the adjusted subsidy reduction apply.
When will providers receive the full subsidy?
From 1 July 2007 onwards the actual payment of the increased subsidy will be made in accordance with the normal claims processing cycle. This means that the August advance, which for most providers is normally calculated in late July and paid in early August, will show payment of the full subsidy backdated to 1 July 2007.What does the provider need to do?
The Department of Health and Ageing is working with Medicare Australia to effect the changes in the aged care payments system. Affected providers will receive the increased payment automatically following lodgement of the July 2007 Claim for Commonwealth Subsidy for Care Recipients in Approved Residential Aged Care Services.An update will appear in the next Payment E$$ential. If you have any queries, please contact Medicare Australia on 1800 195 206.
Schedule Of Fees And Charges: From 1 July 2007
Description | Old Rates (to 30 June 2007) | New Rates (from 1 July 2007) |
Maximum Basic Daily Care Fee#: | | |
| - all respite residents (pensioners and non-pensioners) | up to $30.77 | up to $30.77 |
| - other residents who receive a full or part means-tested Australian pension ## | up to $30.77 | up to $30.77 |
| - other non-pensioner residents ### | up to $38.35 | up to $38.35 |
| Residents who were receiving care in a hostel on 30 September 1997 and whoare NOT currently at a home that was a nursing home before 1 October 1997. | | |
| - residents receiving full or part means-tested Australian pension## | up to $29.97 | up to $29.97 |
| - non-pensioners### | up to $37.55 | up to $37.55 |
| Residents who are currently receiving care in the same 'hostel' where they were living on 30 Septmeber 1997 and who are paying 'grandparented' variable fees | | (see The Residential Care Manual section 7.3.3) |
Maximum Daily Income Tested Fee: | | |
| - residents receiving a full means-tested Australian pension | N/A | N/A |
| - residents receiving a part means-tested Australian pension | up to $23.70 | up to $23.70 |
| (single)$37,835 | $75,046 |
| (married - combined)$74,942 | $75,046 |
| - non-pensioner residents | | |
| (single)$81,894 | $81,998 |
| (married - combined) $163,060 | $163,164 |
Pensioner allowable limit for accommodation bonds: | | |
| The non-pensioner rate of basic daily care fee (above) may apply for pensionerresidents whose accommodation bond is over this amount | $132,000 | $132,000 |
| Minimum assets a person must be left with when calculating the maximum Accommodation Bond | $33,000 | $33,000 |
Maximum Accommodation Charge for new entrants to your home* | | |
1July 2007 - 30 June 2008 | | |
| - for concessional residents and charge exempt residents | N/A | N/A |
| - for residents who first entered residential aged care from 1/7/2004 | | |
| $9.80 | $10.04 |
| calculated amount** | calculated amount** |
| $17.13 | $17.55 |
| calculated amount** | calculated amount** |
| - for residents who first entered residential aged care before 1/7/2004**** | | |
| $7.49 | $7.67 |
| calculated amount** | calculated amount** |
| $14.95 | $15.31 |
| calculated amount** | calculated amount** |
| Asset cutoff level | | |
| - for concessional *** resident status | $33,000 | $33,000 |
| - for assisted *** resident status | $52,500 | $52,500 |
Maximum permissible interest rate | From 1 April 2007 to 30 June 2007 | From 1 July 2007 to 30 September 2007 |
| - Accommodation Bond | 10.37% | 10.37% |
| From 20 March 2007 | From 1 July 2007 |
| - Accommodation Charge | 7.% | 7.% |
| Pensioner Supplement (per day) | From 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007 | From 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008 |
| $6.32 | $6.45 |
| Age pension per fortnight (maximum basic rate) | $506.80 | $506.80 |
| Age pension per fortnight (maximum basic rate + GST supplement) | $525.10 | $525.10 |
## 'Pensioner' maximum rate also applies to blind pensioners & non-pensioner residents who have a dependent child
### 'Non-pensioner' maximum rate also may apply for pensioners who agree to pay a bond above the 'pensioner allowable limit'
* Rate remains unchanged for resident's stay in the one home, regardless of annual indexation of the max. rate for new entrants
** Margin of assets over $33,000 divided by 1,825 (See section 8.3.3.4 of The Residential Care Manual).
*** See The Residential Care Manual for additional criteria for concessional (6.3.5.1.2) and assisted (6.3.5.1.4) status
**** Accommodation charge limited to a maximum period of five years and is fixed at date of entry.
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