Support at Home Update: Consumer Protections, Pricing Transparency & What It Means for Providers
The Australian Government has recently announced additional consumer protection measures under the Support at Home program, alongside a temporary pause to the implementation of price caps that were originally scheduled to commence from 1 July 2026.
These updates reflect the continued evolution of the aged care sector as providers, participants, and regulators transition into the new Support at Home framework.
While the changes are significant, the broader direction is becoming clearer: greater transparency, stronger consumer protections, and increased accountability across pricing and service delivery.
What has been announced?
The government has outlined several new measures intended to strengthen participant protections and improve visibility around pricing practices within the sector.
These include:
- Expanded powers for the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission to investigate overcharging and order refunds where required
- Increased oversight of provider obligations, including the issuing of monthly statements
- Quarterly publication of a National Summary of Support at Home Prices, allowing participants and families to compare provider pricing
- Ongoing monitoring of personal care pricing as services transition into the Clinical Care category
- Encouragement for providers to limit price increases to no more than twice per year
- Further consultation regarding reasonable pricing, multi-provider arrangements, and self-management supports
In addition, the pause to price caps provides providers with more time to refine systems and adapt to the operational realities of the new funding and pricing model.
Why this matters
Support at Home has introduced significant structural change across aged care and community services.
For many providers, one of the key challenges has been balancing:
- transparency for participants
- sustainable service delivery
- compliance with evolving guidelines
- operational realities of community-based care
The introduction of increased consumer protections signals a stronger focus on accountability and participant understanding, particularly regarding how services are structured and billed.
At the same time, the temporary pause to price caps recognises that the sector requires additional time to properly transition into the new model.
Super Rehab’s perspective
At Super Rehab, we support initiatives that improve transparency, consistency, and participant understanding within the aged care sector.
Over recent months, we have already taken steps to improve clarity around:
- direct and indirect clinical activities
- service structures
- billing transparency
- Support at Home aligned pricing approaches
We believe transparent communication is essential in helping both providers and participants better understand how allied health services are delivered and billed under Support at Home.
Our approach remains focused on:
- clear and transparent pricing
- alignment with Support at Home guidelines
- clinically appropriate service delivery
- sustainable, high-quality community-based allied health support
Looking ahead
The aged care sector will continue to evolve over the coming months as further consultation and regulatory guidance is released.
While the regulatory environment continues to change, our focus remains unchanged:
supporting older people to remain safe, independent, and well-supported at home through practical and high-quality allied health services.
We will continue to monitor sector updates closely and work collaboratively with our care partners to support smooth implementation and continuity of care under Support at Home.
Need to discuss Support at Home allied health services?
If you would like to discuss allied health supports, pricing structures, Assistive Technology and Home Modifications, or multidisciplinary service delivery under Support at Home, our team is happy to assist.
📩 Contact Super Rehab
📋 Submit a referral: https://superrehab.com.au/general-referral