SaH transition deadlines
The department has published information for providers on the upcoming obligations they must meet as the sector transitions to the Support at Home model.
Now that the new Support at Home model has officially come into effect, the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing has reminded providers of the obligations they must meet in the coming months.
This includes publishing pricing information and specifying the prices for services delivered during standard weekday business hours and non-standard hours, such as weekends and public holidays, by 7 November.
Providers also need to use the My Aged Care Service and Support Portal to verify and update the services they deliver by 7 November and must remove any services not included in the SaH Service List, revalidate that their service delivery is accurate, and confirm outlet names and descriptions.
By 30 November, the department has strongly advised providers to finalise all outstanding claims for Home Care Package services delivered to 31 October, using the Aged Care Provider Portal.
The balance of provider-held HCP Commonwealth unspent funds must also be reported in the final claim, if applicable.
If providers miss this deadline, it could impact their ability to make timely claims for SaH services from 1 December, the department notes.
As the transition away from the Home Care Packages Program and the Short-Term Restorative Care Program continues into 2026, providers must update the common price for each service.
This must be done between 1 and 30 January 2026 and requires providers to calculate their common prices over the previous two-month reporting period and review their prices every two months to align with specific reporting periods.
Providers will also need to update any changes to the common prices in the My Aged Care Services and Support Portal within 30 days.
February 2026 marks the deadline to undertake the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications scheme data collection.
Service agreement timelines
There are new timeframes in which providers need to have their service agreements finalised.
Under the Aged Care (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Rules 2025, providers are required to continue delivering services to participants with an existing Home Care Agreement throughout the transition period.
But from the date a transitioned participant’s contribution rate is determined, providers have 30 days to reach out and start finalising or varying the service agreement.
Participants then have 90 days to sign. If they haven’t signed within this period, providers may cease services, but participants must be notified in writing 14 days prior to ceasing services.
More information on the SaH transition is available here.
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