When a care recipient changes provider
A care recipient may decide to change Home Care Package providers if they:
- are looking for a better fit to meet their needs
- are moving to another area to live.
Providers must support care recipients who choose to change providers. For example, you can:
- refer them to the My Aged Care’s Find a Provider tool
- suggest they contact My Aged Care for help.
Once a care recipient has decided to change, they need to:
- give their referral code to the new provider
- agree on a start date with the new provider
- provide written notice to their current provider
- agree on a cessation date with their current provider.
Cessation date
The cessation date is the date the current provider stops providing services to a care recipient.
The current provider does not get a Home Care Package subsidy for the cessation date.
If the care recipient does not want a gap in their Home Care Package subsidy payment, they should ask their new provider to start services on the cessation date.
If you're the current provider
You should encourage your care recipient to research new providers if they have not already and find a new provider before agreeing on a cessation date with you.
Explain to your care recipient that they must enter into a new Home Care Agreement with their new provider within 56 days of their cessation date or their package will be withdrawn.
They can seek an extension of 28 days by calling My Aged Care, which will give them a total of 84 days to enter into a new Home Care Agreement.
But they risk losing their unspent funds if they don’t enter into a new Home Care Agreement within 70 days.
Explain that the best way to avoid losing unspent funds or risk their package being withdrawn is to find a new provider before agreeing on a cessation date.
Step 1. Agree on a cessation date
When you discuss the cessation date with the care recipient, you should consider:
- their situation and circumstances
- the terms of their Home Care Agreement with you.
You must continue to provide care until the cessation date.
If the care recipient does not think they can find a new provider in time to adhere to the 56 and 70 days rules mentioned above, you can put them on social leave to prevent a loss of their package and loss of unspent funds.
Step 2. Provide cessation information
Within 31 days of the cessation date, you must tell Services Australia through the Aged Care Provider Portal. Submit:
- the care recipient's name
- the cessation date
- the reason for ceasing.
Step 3. Process the unspent funds
Within 70 days of the cessation date, you must:
- calculate the care recipient’s unspent funds
- provide written notice
- process the release of their unspent funds.
If you're the new provider
When a care recipient chooses you to be their new provider, they must call My Aged Care to reactivate their referral code and give it to you.
Step 1. Agree on a start date
You must agree on a start date with the care recipient. The start date must be on or after the cessation date.
Confirm the cessation date with both the care recipient and the current provider.
Step 2. Accept the care recipient's referral
You must accept the care recipient's referral in the My Aged Care Service and Support Portal.
Do this as soon as possible, so that you both can meet the timeframes in steps 3, 4 and 5.
Step 3. Develop a Home Care Agreement
You must work with the care recipient to develop a:
The care recipient must enter into a Home Care Agreement with you within 56 days of the cessation date. If they don't do this, we will withdraw their package.
They can seek an extension of 28 days by calling My Aged Care, which will give them a total of 84 days to enter into a new Home Care Agreement.
But they risk losing their unspent funds if they don’t enter into a new Home Care Agreement within 70 days.
Step 4. Provide entry information
Within 28 days of the care recipient starting care, submit an Aged Care Entry Record.
Step 5. Receive the unspent funds
You should receive the transfer portion of a care recipient's unspent funds within 70 days of the cessation date from their previous provider.
If the care recipient requested an extension and did not enter a Home Care Agreement within 70 days, the government portion of unspent funds will be returned to us.
If the care recipient enters a Home Care Agreement within 70 days from cessation date with the previous provider and their unspent funds have not transferred on day 71, you should:
- let the care recipient know
- talk to them and the previous provider about the delay
- if needed, help your care recipient to lodge a complaint with the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
You must separately list the transfer portion in the care recipient’s monthly statement.
Step 6. Manage supplements
The following supplements automatically transfer to you as the new provider:
- Dementia and cognition supplement – you must get a copy of the record of assessment
- Hardship supplement – if the care recipient's approval is still valid
- Veterans' supplement
- Top-up supplement.
The Viability supplement:
- automatically transfers to you if the care recipient stays in the same Modified Monash Model (MMM) area
- does not transfer if the care recipient relocates – they will be automatically reassessed using the new location you enter in their record.
The following supplements do not automatically transfer to you:
- Oxygen supplement – apply online to Services Australia
- Enteral feeding supplement – apply online to Services Australia.
Remember that you must:
- include supplements in the care recipient's individualised budget
- keep proof of a care recipient's eligibility for supplements.