As journalists and industry associations went into Budget lock up yesterday afternoon, the Department of Health and Aged Care published the Government’s new Support at Home pricing guidance.
The guidance, positioned by the Albanese Government as a helpful resource for aged care providers to ensure pricing is reasonable and transparent, was informed by a survey that only one-third of providers completed.
In releasing the guidance, Minister for Aged Care, Anika Wells, said pricing for Support at Home was a key focus for discussion at the Aged Care Transition Taskforce.
“We have heard that providers need recognition that prices should reflect the full cost of providing that service and that costs of service delivery may differ across regions,” Minister Wells said.
“The data from the survey was very helpful and allowed the department to develop price guidance. The indicative price ranges for each type of service provides market-level information that older people and their supporters can use to understand how a providers’ pricing compares with other providers across the country and make informed decisions about where they want to go to receive care.”
“The prices on the website are not intended to be seen as price caps, but rather as guidance that you should refer to when setting your own prices to ensure that you are not out of step with the sector. Prices will vary across the country due to factors such as location and workforce availability.”
The below table, developed by the Department, shows the national median prices reported in the survey, as well as a range of prices with a lower and upper bound:
| National median price (per hour) | Range (lower) | Range (upper) | |
| Nursing care | $150 | $125 | $179 |
| Registered nurse | $160 | $144 | $186 |
| Enrolled nurse | $140 | $120 | $163 |
| Nursing assistant | $110 | $92 | $143 |
| Allied health and other therapeutic services | $195 | $160 | $220 |
| Allied health therapy assistant | $122 | $105 | $167 |
| Counsellor or Psychotherapist | $208 | $160 | $225 |
| Dietitian or Nutritionist | $200 | $165 | $219 |
| Exercise physiologist | $190 | $165 | $219 |
| Occupational therapist | $200 | $174 | $220 |
| Physiotherapist | $185 | $160 | $210 |
| Podiatrist | $180 | $153 | $208 |
| Psychologist | $228 | $210 | $250 |
| Social worker | $200 | $163 | $238 |
| Speech pathologist | $208 | $187 | $236 |
| Care management | $120 | $80 | $150 |
| Restorative care management | $150 | $120 | $173 |
| Personal care | $100 | $85 | $115 |
| Social support and community engagement | $99 | $82 | $110 |
| Therapeutic services for independent living | $165 | $140 | $220 |
| Remedial masseuse | $150 | $134 | $206 |
| Respite | $99 | $85 | $112 |
| Transport (per trip) | $70 | $40 | $97 |
| Domestic assistance | $95 | $83 | $109 |
| Home maintenance and repairs | $103 | $85 | $120 |
| Meal delivery (per meal) | $15 | $11 | $22 |
| Meal preparation | $97 | $82 | $110 |
While aged care providers can charge a range of prices for each service type, from 1 July 2025, a standard price for each service offered must be published on the My Aged Care website.
“The Department will actively monitor these to check they align with the prices you are charging,” Minister Wells said.
“If we find that a provider has set prices that seem excessive when compared to the market, we will ask you to present evidence to the department or to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission to demonstrate how you have arrived at the pricing in question, and how it is justified. If we determine that the prices cannot be justified, then enforcement action will be taken.”
