The Commonwealth Government of Australia regulates the fees payable by Residents in an Aged Care Facility. These fees are regularly indexed by the government and can be obtained on the https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/schedule-of-fees-and-charges-for-residential-and-home-care or by contacting the My Aged Care information portal line: on 1800 200 422.
RESIDENTIAL AGED CARE COSTS FROM 01/11/2025
When entering residential aged care, you may be required to pay one or more of the following fees:
A BASIC DAILY CARE FEE
All aged care residents receiving ongoing (permanent) or short-term (respite) care are required to pay this fee. The Basic Daily Fee covers daily living expenses, including meals, cleaning, laundry, heating and cooling.
The government sets the rate for this fee, which is calculated at 85% of the single basic age pension. The Basic Daily Fee increases in line with changes to the single basic age pension, which the government adjusts twice yearly in March and September.
For short-term care, the Basic Daily Fee is the only fee you need to pay.
HOTELLING SUPPLEMENT CONTRIBUTION OR HSC
The Hotelling Contribution covers part of the cost of meals and daily living services. The amount you pay is determined by your means assessment and is outlined in your fee advice letter from Services Australia.
As at 01/11/2025 the HSC is:-
- Based on income and assets
- Has a Daily Cap of around $12.55, indexed with inflation
This contribution separates living costs from care costs, making it clearer what each part of the daily fee covers.
NON-CLINICAL CARE CONTRIBUTION OR NCCC
The Non-Clinical Care Contribution replaces the old Means Tested Care Fee and covers some costs for services such as assistance with bathing, mobility and lifestyle activities. The amount you pay is determined by your means assessment and is outlined in your fee advice letter from Services Australia.
As at 01/11/2025 the NCCC is: –
- Based on income and assets
- Has a Daily Cap of approximately $101.61 per day and is indexed with inflation.
- Has a Lifetime Cap and payments stop after four years in permanent care or once the NCCC paid reaches approximately $130,000.
This change ensures residents and their families or representatives can predict long-term costs and know there is a limit to what can be charged.
ACCOMMODATION PAYMENT OR CONTRIBUTION
For residents receiving ongoing care, a payment or contribution towards your accommodation may be required, depending on the outcome of your means assessment. The government’s means assessment determines this. Please note that these specific accommodation charges do not apply to short-term / respite care. Finley Regional Care room price is $480,000.
If your government means assessment indicates you need to pay or contribute to your accommodation, you can do so through a:
- Daily Accommodation Payment (DAP)
- Daily Accommodation Contribution (DAC), or a combination of both
- Refundable Accommodation Deposit (RAD)
- Refundable Accommodation Contribution (RAC), or a combination of both.
If you are on the new fee structure, a 2% per annum retention (capped at 10%) will be deducted from your paid RAD or RAC over a maximum of 5 years.
To find out more about these changes, please visit My Aged Care.
Finley Regional Care admissions team would be happy to discuss fees and charges further with you and you can make an appointment by calling 03 5883 9600.
METHOD OF FEE COLLECTION
Finley Regional Care collects fees and charges as applicable to each resident on a fortnightly basis in advance. Fees can only be paid by direct debit. A direct debit form is included with the admission pack or can be picked up from administration.
Please note that the first direct debit for resident fees will include fees payable up until the date of the first direct debit plus a fortnight in advance. For those residents who have an unpaid Accommodation Contribution amount, this will include an interest component.
