Charging fees for STRC services
As an STRC service provider, you can ask clients to pay a care fee above the flexible care subsidy to meet extra costs.
The client must agree to the amount you charge in their care agreement. There are limits to how much you can charge.
You must not refuse to provide care to a person if they can’t pay fees.
If the client’s financial circumstances change, fees may be waived during their care episode.
Caps on care fee amounts
We cap fees based on the current pension rates and service settings.
For services delivered:
- in a residential setting, you can ask a client to pay up to 85% of the basic daily rate of the single pension
- in a home setting, you can ask a client to pay up to 17.5% of the basic daily rate of the single pension.
These rules apply to single and married clients.
If circumstances change
If a client transitions between residential and home settings, the maximum care fee depends on where they sleep that evening:
- If they will sleep in a residential facility, the maximum care fee is 85% that day.
- If they will sleep in a home setting, the maximum care fee is 17.5% that day.
If a client leaves the program, you must stop charging fees on the day they exit.
Using STRC fees
You are responsible for determining what to spend STRC fees on, but you and the client must discuss this and agree to it.
Fee amounts and what you will spend the fee on must be clear in the client’s flexible care agreement, including:
- how much each service costs
- how much is for administrative costs.
STRC fees cannot be used for:
- services that may be claimed through the Medicare Benefits Schedule
- medicines listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Schedule.
Read more about managing STRC fees in Chapter 3.10 of the manual.