Hi there, I’m very new to all this. Just a question, does the daily fee ($10.52) come out of the package, or from me?
cheers,
Dan
Hi Jules,The basic daily fee and the income tested care fee are paid for every single day that package funds are assigned to the client regardless of whether the client is receiving a service that day.Regards
Hi,I am wondering if you could clarify for me please. The Basic daily fee is this paid for 7 days a week even if you are only using services for 3 or 4 days a week.Thank you for your timeJ
Hi Gredba, Thank you for your feedback. We have tried to make this website as user friendly as possible as Aged Care/Home Care can be a confusing world! We update our website regularly so our apologies for any confusion. With respect to your questions:1. Our understanding has always been that the basic daily fee is a compulsory payment for a Home care package which is capped at 17.5% of the single pension. Following your post I have clarified this with the governments My Aged Care and my understanding from them is that the basic daily fee is usually paid but Home Care Package providers can choose how they organise their cost/fee structure so some may choose not to ask for the basic daily fee but I would recommend look at their schedule to see where the costs are as it can vary. Depending on your income assessment you may be asked by your package provider to contribute more to the cost of your care which is called “income-tested care fee”.2. With regards to unspent funds they are to be returned to the Commonwealth Government by your home package provider (less any exit fees) or transferred to your new package provider should you choose to change providers. However any home care fees paid in advance must be refunded to the client or his estate. Also the home care subsidy for cessation day of the package should not be paid by the client. My Aged Care has told me that the client may use some of those unspent fees on equipment/aids (particularly those that assist a person to perform daily living tasks) if required and agreed upon between the package provider and client.3. According to the governments website: https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/subjects/caring-older-australian. There is the possibility of becoming a carer for a family member such as an ageing partner. These payments from Centrelink can be either a Carer Payment or Carer Allowance depending on your circumstances. My understanding is that conditions apply and a doctors or health professional’s report to help establish eligibility. Once again thank you for your feedback and we will update the website where required. Kind regards Jill
Hello there,First, may I thank and commend you on this excellent plain English guide to Home Care. It is much easier to understand than the confusing Governments myagedcare website and has practically everything you need to know. There are some great advice that cant be found anywhere else. I wish I had found it two months ago.There are there things however, I would like clarified.The first is your statement in Item 4.2 that says Everyone receiving a Home Care Package, …, must pay the basic fee… It is my understanding that this fee is a contribution that is added on to your package and after a percentage fee has been deducted is given back to you in services. Nonetheless, I can recall reading somewhere that this Maximum Basic Daily Fee is not mandatory. And as I have been receiving quotes for Package fees that do not include this fee I am left wondering. Could you please check this for me and for the benefit of all Care recipient. I should mention that in my wifendessed for a Level 3 package and will be paying the maximum income tested care fee of $30.25 per day. So the last thing we want is an additional co-payment.The second matter is in Item 5.6 whereby you state that … your part of the unspent funds (less any exit fees) must be returned to you or your estate. PThree package providers have advised me that unspent funds under the same circumstances will be returned to the Government. Could you please advise me if they have misled me with their advice.The final matter, which you suggest in Item 9.3 is: - If you have a family member who cares for you it may be possible for them to be paid for this work. Could you please confirm that this is permissible. I believe there is a strong case for this to be allowable and for a lot of peoples benefit, I hope your assessment is correct. For example in our situation my wife would be much happpier for me to continue providing personalrm work that I havent got time to do. If I could be paid for my wifes personal care, we could afford to pay a farm hand, my wife would be happier, there would be no travelling expenses for short visits, my rates would be cheaper and we would receive more hours of care per week.Again, thank you and congratulations on this most informative guide. It has enlightened us considerably. i also thank you for the opportunity to comment and look forward to yo
Hi Dan, Thanks for your question. The Daily Fee is a contribution that you make, so that comes from you. You’re not alone with finding the finances of Home Care complicated. The truth is, it is. We explain it best we can here on our site. What is the fee structure for the Home Care Package? | agedcare101. We hope this helps.
Hi Dan, the basic daily fee and income-tested care fee are indeed convoluted! It’s one of the most commonly misunderstood parts of home care packages. Both are designed to make the system more financially sustainable for all Australians. In regards to your question, the basic daily is something you will have to pay outside of the funding from your home care package, assuming your home care provider charges the basic daily fee. Not all providers do.
Here’s a helpful resource that covers the nuances of the basic daily fee, income-tested care fee, and additional out-of-pocket fees:
The Income-Tested Care Fee Explained
I hope this helps. Best of luck!