Reasons for changing providers
A participant can choose to change providers for any reason, including:
- needing services their current provider does not offer
- moving to a different location.
What happens to funding
A participant’s funding moves with them to the new provider, including their unspent funds for ongoing services. The government-held portion of unspent Home Care Package funds will be available to the new provider immediately.
If a participant does not enter into a service agreement with a new provider for 4 quarters in a row (one year) since they last received a service, their ongoing funding will be withdrawn.
What the participant must do
As early as possible, a participant should tell their current provider:
- that they are changing providers and agree on an exit date
- who their new provider is.
What the current provider must do
As the current (outgoing) provider, you must:
- agree on an exit date with the participant
- notify Services Australia within 28 calendar days of the exit date
- continue with services under the service agreement and care plan until the exit date
- finalise claims for services no later than 60 days after the exit date
- issue final invoices for any participant contributions
- issue a final monthly statement
- share the participant’s remaining budget with the new provider within 28 days, including:
- the total cost of services you delivered before the exit date
- services you delivered before the exit date but have not claimed for.
If the new provider requests copies of records (such as care notes), you must provide them within 28 calendar days of the request.
You cannot charge an exit amount when a participant leaves your care.
Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) scheme
For participants accessing the AT-HM scheme, you should:
- contact the new provider as soon as possible
- work with them to ensure that items and services that you are sourcing for the participant under the scheme continue smoothly
- finalise all claims for payment
- transfer any outstanding claims to the new provider, if the participant agrees.
Transitioned HCP care recipients
Participants who transitioned from the Home Care Packages (HCP) Program may have unspent funds.
The government-held portion will be available to the new provider immediately in the participant’s home care account.
If you hold unspent HCP funds, you must:
- identify any unspent HCP funds
- calculate the participant portion and the Commonwealth portion
- transfer any participant portion to the new provider within 60 calendar days of the exit date
- return any Commonwealth portion to Services Australia.
If the participant joined the HCP Program after 1 September 2021, you would not hold a Commonwealth portion. Any unspent funds you hold would be a participant portion.
What the new provider must do
You must:
- accept the participant referral in the My Aged Care Service and Support Portal
- confirm the exit date with the outgoing provider
- enter into a service agreement with the participant – the start date must be on or after the exit date
- receive budget information from the outgoing provider within 28 days
- create a care plan and individualised budget with the participant
- apply for relevant supplements, if applicable
- notify Services Australia within 28 calendar days of the participant signing the service agreement.
Exit date
When agreeing on the exit date, you (as the current provider) and the participant should consider the:
- participant’s situation
- the terms of the service agreement
- the legislative requirements of Support at Home (including ceasing services obligations).
The exit date should:
- not disadvantage the participant unnecessarily
- be noted in their care notes.
Provider-initiated transfer
You may transfer service delivery branches to another registered provider. For example, as part of a merger or acquisition, sometimes within the same organisation.
You are responsible for ensuring continuity of care for all participants.
Find out what you need to do to transfer service delivery branches.
Find out more
Read:
- Chapter 12 (ceasing and temporarily stopping services) in the Support at Home program manual
- Changing Support at Home provider fact sheet - My Aged Care.