Last chance to speak up: Help shape the future price of home care
Published on 15 June 2025
The clock is ticking, and senior leaders in aged care have just days left to influence the future cost of delivering in-home support services across Australia.
The Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority (IHACPA) is inviting final feedback on its draft Pricing Framework for Australian Support at Home Aged Care Services (2026–27). Submissions close Friday, 5pm AEST on July 18, 2025 — and with it, your opportunity to ensure the numbers truly add up for your business and the older Australians you serve.
This isn’t just another consultation; it’s the cost equation that could define the sustainability of in-home aged care in the years to come.
Why it matters
The proposed Support at Home reforms aim to consolidate multiple in-home aged care programs into a streamlined model. At the heart of this shift is the pricing framework — a mechanism that determines how providers are funded and what services older people can access to stay safely at home.
If pricing doesn’t reflect the real cost of safe, high-quality care, the ripple effects will be felt across the system: workforce pressures, provider exits, and rising wait times for vulnerable older people.
Senior leaders: your voice carries weight
As stewards of financial sustainability, operational delivery, and consumer outcomes, senior leaders must take this final opportunity to weigh in. Whether you operate regionally, serve high-acuity clients, or juggle workforce shortages, this is the moment to make sure IHACPA understands your business realities.
The consultation paper covers:
• Principles and methods for calculating fair and sustainable prices
• Regional and complexity-based pricing adjustments
• Key data gaps and challenges in cost reporting
If you don’t speak now…
Aged care is at a critical inflexion point. With so many reforms converging, pricing policy is not just a technical detail — it’s a strategic lever. Missing this window may mean living with a framework that undervalues the work, the workers, and the outcomes of in-home care.
Submit before it’s too late
Feedback closes at 5pm AEST this Friday, July 18 via the IHACPA Engagement Hub