Care management and “admin fees” in Support at Home
What care management is, how much of your budget it uses, and what providers can and can’t charge.
What is care management?
Care management helps you get and understand your care. It is done by a care partner. This is a staff member your provider gives you.
Your care partner:
- helps you choose, get and manage your services
- works with you on your care plan, and reviews it at least once a year
- reviews your service agreement
- helps manage and watch over your budget
- keeps in touch with your workers, and with your family or carers if you agree
- helps you make decisions, and helps you give feedback or make a complaint.
Your provider must have at least one direct care management contact with you (or your registered supporter) every month. This still happens if you self-manage.
Source: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing; Department of Health, Disability and Ageing; My Aged Care (checked 28 Oct 2026)
How much of your budget goes to care management?
If you get ongoing services, 10% of your quarterly budget goes to care management. My Aged Care says: “If you receive ongoing services, 10% of your quarterly budget will go towards care management.”
The government pays this 10% to your provider each quarter. Providers pool this money across the people they support, so care management can change as people’s needs change.
Your monthly statement must show how many hours or units of care management you got that month.
Source: My Aged Care; My Aged Care; Department of Health, Disability and Ageing; Department of Health, Disability and Ageing; Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (checked 28 Oct 2026)
Do you pay a contribution on care management?
No. Care management is a clinical support. The government pays the full cost. Your contribution rate for care management is 0%.
Your provider cannot ask you to contribute to care management.
Source: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing; My Aged Care (checked 28 Oct 2026)
Extra care management for some people
Some people can get more care management. The government may give your provider extra money for this if, for example, you:
- are an older Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person
- are homeless or at risk of homelessness
- are a care leaver
- were referred by the care finder program
- are a veteran who can get the Veterans’ Supplement for aged care.
Source: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (checked 28 Oct 2026)
Short-term help and equipment
Restorative Care and End-of-Life pathways: your provider claims care management from your budget for that pathway. There is no set limit, but the amount must be fair for your needs and in your best interests.
Equipment and home changes (AT-HM): providers can’t claim care management. Their admin or coordination charge is capped at 10% of the cost or $500 for equipment, and 15% of the cost or $1,500 for home changes (whichever is lower).
Source: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing; Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (checked 28 Oct 2026)
What providers can and can’t charge
- Providers set their own prices. Prices must be reasonable, based on what it costs to deliver the service.
- Those costs can include staff, package management, administration, travel and a margin. They are built into the price of each service.
- Providers cannot charge separate administration or travel fees.
- Your service agreement must list the prices for your services. If a price is higher than the provider’s published price, they must say so and give the reason.
- If the agreement allows regular price rises, it must say when, how they are worked out, and why.
- For one-off services, the provider must agree the price with you first and give it to you in writing.
Price caps: the government has said it will put off price caps for Support at Home services until it is more confident the market is stable. It also encourages providers to raise prices no more than twice a year.
Source: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing; Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (checked 28 Oct 2026)
Where to see and compare prices
Every provider must publish its prices for all its services on My Aged Care and on its own website. Each provider charges a different amount for its services and care management.
You can compare prices in the Find a provider tool. See our guide to choosing a provider.
The government also publishes a National Summary of Support at Home Prices. It shows the middle (median) price and the range of prices providers charge.
Source: My Aged Care; Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (checked 28 Oct 2026)
Think you were charged wrongly?
Check your monthly statement
It shows each service, the price charged, your contributions and what is left in your budget. Your provider must send it by the end of the next month.
Source: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (checked 28 Oct 2026)
Talk to your provider
Ask them to talk you through the prices. Raising a concern will not affect your services.
Source: My Aged Care; My Aged Care (checked 28 Oct 2026)
Complain to the Commission
If you are still not happy, you can make a free complaint to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission online or on 1800 951 822. Anyone can complain, and you can stay anonymous. You don’t have to talk to your provider first.
Source: My Aged Care; Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (checked 28 Oct 2026)
Get free help from OPAN
OPAN advocates can help you talk to your provider or make a complaint. Call 1800 700 600.
Source: My Aged Care; Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) (checked 28 Oct 2026)
Common questions
How much of my Support at Home budget goes to care management?
If you get ongoing services, 10% of your quarterly budget goes to care management. This money goes to your provider.
Source: My Aged Care; Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (checked 28 Oct 2026)
Do I pay a contribution for care management?
No. Care management is a clinical support, so the government pays the full cost. Your provider cannot ask you to contribute to it.
Source: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing; My Aged Care (checked 28 Oct 2026)
Can my provider charge a separate admin fee?
No. Providers cannot charge separate administration or travel fees. These costs can be part of the prices they set for services, and those prices must be reasonable.
Source: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (checked 28 Oct 2026)
Do I still get care management if I self-manage?
Yes. Providers must provide care management no matter how much you choose to self-manage. Your care partner still oversees and supports your care.
Source: My Aged Care (checked 28 Oct 2026)
What can I do if I think I was charged wrongly?
Ask your provider to talk you through the prices first. If you are still not happy, you can make a free complaint to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission on 1800 951 822. OPAN can help you for free on 1800 700 600.
Source: My Aged Care (checked 28 Oct 2026)
Need help with your own situation?
My Aged Care (Australian Government)
Mon to Fri 8am to 8pm. Sat 10am to 2pm.
OPAN free, independent advocates
Mon to Fri 8am to 8pm. Sat 10am to 4pm.
In an emergency, call 000. Worried about abuse? See urgent help.
Where this information comes from
- Department of Health, Disability and Ageing: Care management for Support at Home
https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/support-at-home/delivering-services-for-support-at-home/care-management-for-support-at-home
Last checked 28 Oct 2026. - Department of Health, Disability and Ageing: Funding for Support at Home care management
https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/support-at-home/funding-for-support-at-home/funding-for-support-at-home-care-management
Last checked 28 Oct 2026. - Department of Health, Disability and Ageing: Support at Home program – care management (fact sheet)
https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/support-at-home-program-care-management
Last checked 28 Oct 2026. - My Aged Care: Managing your Support at Home budget
https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/managing-your-support-home-budget
Last checked 28 Oct 2026. - My Aged Care: Support at Home costs and contributions
https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/support-at-home-costs-and-contributions
Last checked 28 Oct 2026. - Department of Health, Disability and Ageing: Prices for Support at Home participants
https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/support-at-home/charging-for-support-at-home-services/prices-for-support-at-home-participants
Last checked 28 Oct 2026. - Department of Health, Disability and Ageing: How the Support at Home program works
https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/support-at-home/about/how-the-support-at-home-program-works
Last checked 28 Oct 2026. - My Aged Care: Agreeing to Support at Home services
https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/agreeing-support-at-home-services
Last checked 28 Oct 2026. - Department of Health, Disability and Ageing: Monthly statements for Support at Home services
https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/support-at-home/managing-support-at-home-services/monthly-statements-for-support-at-home-services
Last checked 28 Oct 2026. - My Aged Care: Making a complaint
https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/making-a-complaint
Last checked 28 Oct 2026. - Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission: Contact us
https://www.agedcarequality.gov.au/contact-us
Last checked 28 Oct 2026. - Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN): Contact us
https://opan.org.au/contact-us/
Last checked 28 Oct 2026.