How we fund palliative and end-of-life care in residential aged care
Palliative care is person and family-centred treatment, care and support for people living with a life-limiting illness. End-of-life care is an important part of palliative care and is given to people and their families who are facing the end of their life.
Older people, families and carers can learn more about planning palliative care and end-of-life care.
The AN-ACC funding model includes 13 permanent care classes, assigned based on each resident’s assessed care needs. An independent residential aged care funding assessment will determine the resident’s AN-ACC class and the variable subsidy paid to the provider based on the resident’s care needs at the time of the assessment.
Funding for residents with palliative care needs is provided across all AN-ACC classes with AN-ACC Class 1 for eligible new residents entering residential aged care for planned end-of-life care.
Existing residents requiring palliative and end-of-life care
The AN-ACC classification system and assessment tool were designed to be strong indicators of a resident’s palliative and end-of-life care needs. They do this by recognising that individuals approaching the end-of-life may experience progressive loss of mobility, increased dependence in everyday activities, and other increases in fundamental care needs.
Where a resident’s care needs increase, you can request a residential aged care funding reclassification to reassess their AN-ACC class. For residents in their final weeks of life, requests can be flagged as ‘urgent’ in the MyAgedCare Portal. Urgent requests are typically finalised within 14 days, with any change in funding applied from the date of the request.
The Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC) funding guide
Residential aged care funding assessment pathways fact sheet
New residents entering for planned end-of-life care
AN-ACC Class 1 is a special funding class for eligible residents who enter permanent residential aged care in their final weeks of life for the purpose of receiving planned end-of-life care. This includes residents who transfer from residential respite care to permanent residential care at the same service.
This class also ensures appropriate funding for residents whose prognosis may not allow time for the standard independent residential aged care funding assessment process to occur.
Eligibility for AN-ACC Class 1
For eligibility for AN-ACC Class 1 classification and funding, all of the following must be met:
- the individual entered the approved residential care home to be provided with ongoing residential care services in the form of palliative care
- a medical assessment has been completed no more than 3 months prior to, and no later than 14 days following, the individual’s date of entry
- the medical assessment includes an estimate of the individual’s life expectancy as 3 months or less at the individual's date of entry
- the medical assessment includes an Australia-modified Karnofsky Performance Status (AKPS) score of 40 or less
- the individual's entry is notified through submission of a start notification within 28 days from the date of entry.
The medical assessment must be conducted by either a medical practitioner or nurse practitioner who is independent of the provider.
Applying for AN-ACC Class 1
Providers must apply for AN-ACC Class 1 by completing and submitting a palliative care status form.
Completing the palliative care status form
You are responsible for collecting consent from the individual or their guardian. See the privacy notice for more information.
Before submitting the palliative care status form, you must make sure the individual meets all the eligibility requirements. You must complete the most up-to-date version of the form as the department cannot assess old form versions.
Palliative care status form
Submitting the palliative care status form
To submit the form, you need to:
- login to My Aged Care Service and Support Portal
- attach the completed form to the ‘palliative care application’.
You are legally required to submit the form within 14 days of notifying Services Australia of the resident’s entry into permanent care. If the form is not submitted within 14 days, the resident will be referred for a residential aged care funding assessment and assigned an AN-ACC class when the results of the assessment are known.
Outcome
While awaiting the outcome, you will receive AN-ACC Class 1 as the default subsidy rate. If approved, AN-ACC Class 1 will apply from the date of the request and the resident will not need a residential aged care funding assessment.
If the information provided in the palliative care status form does not meet all the eligibility requirements, the resident will be considered a standard permanent resident and the process for standard permanent entry applies. This includes being referred for a residential aged care funding assessment and assigned an AN-ACC class when the results of the assessment are known.
Record keeping
Registered providers must keep a copy of all submitted palliative care status forms.
The Aged Care Rules 2025 (sections 154-1000 and 154-1300) allows us (as the System Governor) to request information and documents on the palliative care a resident receives, including the original form. We may use this to evaluate your eligibility for AN‑ACC Class 1 funding.
You must also provide a copy of the form to the resident and/or their guardian.
Current rate
The AN-ACC Class 1 rate is subject to change on 1 October each year, following pricing advice from the Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority.
See the daily rates in the Schedule of Subsidies and Supplements.
Find out more
Learn more about AN-ACC Class 1, including the eligibility requirements and how to complete the palliative care status form in the:
