About specialised status
Approved providers may be eligible for specialised status if their aged care home specialises in providing care to:
- homeless people (any location in Australia)
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and you are located in a remote (MM6) or very remote (MM7) location.
If determined, approved providers will receive the specialised BCT. See the current rates in the Schedule of Subsidies and Supplements.
Eligibility for specialised status
Specific eligibility criteria apply for each specialised status category.
For more information, please see:
- AN-ACC – Specialised status guide for residential aged care approved providers
- AN-ACC Funding Guide.
Specialised homeless status
To be determined to have specialised homeless status, the Secretary (or delegate) must be satisfied that the aged care home:
- has provided, or one of their key personnel has demonstrated experience in providing, or has the capacity to provide, specialist homeless programs
- is either providing specialist homeless programs or has given a written undertaking that the service will begin providing such programs within 3 months after the application is made
- on the day before the application is made, has at least 50% of its non-respite care residents demonstrated complex behavioural needs and social disadvantage associated with their background as a homeless person.
Specialised Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander status
To be determined to have specialised Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander status, the Secretary (or delegate) must be satisfied that an aged care home:
- has provided, or one of their key personnel has demonstrated experience in providing, or has the capacity to provide, specialist Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander programs
- is providing Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander specialist programs, or has given a written undertaking to begin providing such programs within 3 months after the application is made
- on the day before the application is made, at least 50% of its non-respite care residents are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people and is located in an MM6 or MM7 location.
Apply for specialised status
To apply for specialised status, approved providers of an aged care home should complete either:
- Specialised Homeless status application form
- Specialised Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander status application form.
Email the completed application form, together with any additional supporting information, to the Subsidies and Supplements team.
In making their decision, the Secretary may have regard to any information they consider relevant, including information that becomes available after the application is made.
If determined, a specialised status will apply for up to 3 years, provided the aged care home continues to meet all the relevant eligibility requirements.
Revocation of specialised status
Approved providers have a responsibility to monitor their ongoing eligibility for specialised status. The Secretary may revoke specialised status and BCT if an aged care home does not meet the eligibility criteria.
Specialised Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander status will be revoked if it is determined that:
- for 3 consecutive payment periods, the aged care home provided less than 50% of permanent care to Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people
- the aged care home is not providing, or did not start providing specialist Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander programs within 3 months of making an application.
Specialised homeless status will be revoked if it is determined that:
- for 3 consecutive payment periods, the aged care home provided less than 50 per cent of permanent care to residents meeting the homelessness criteria
- the aged care home is not providing, or did not start providing specialist homeless programs within three months of making an application.
If an aged care home's specialised status is revoked, a provider cannot make a new application for specialised status for that aged care home for a minimum of 3 months. A provider can choose to write to the Secretary to request that the specialised status of the aged care home be revoked.
