The 10% care management fee: what you get and how to judge it
Last updated 20 August 2026
Figures current as at 20 August 2026: quarterly budgets indexed 1 July 2026.
The short version
- Care management is capped at 10% of your quarterly budget — under Home Care Packages it could run to 20%.
- It's classified as clinical care, so there's no contribution from your pocket — but it does come out of your budget, which means fewer dollars for services.
- 10% is a ceiling, not a fixed price. Providers can charge less, and what you get for it varies a lot.
- If you self-manage, you take on more of the coordination yourself — often for a lower care management charge.
What care management actually includes
Care management is the professional oversight of your care — the work that happens between visits. Done well, it should cover:
- Your care plan — writing it with you, reviewing it regularly, and adjusting it when your needs change.
- Coordination — scheduling workers, lining up nursing and allied health, arranging equipment, fixing problems when a shift falls through.
- Check-ins — regular contact from a named care manager who knows your situation, not just a call centre.
- Clinical oversight — spotting changes in your health early and connecting you with the right services, including short-term pathways when they'd help.
Because care management sits in the clinical care category, everyone's contribution on it is zero — full pensioner or self-funded, you pay nothing toward it directly. The cost comes out of your quarterly budget instead.
What 10% means in dollars
| Classification | Quarterly budget | Maximum care management per quarter |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2,752.50 | $275.25 |
| 2 | $4,112.84 | $411.28 |
| 3 | $5,634.20 | $563.42 |
| 4 | $7,617.13 | $761.71 |
| 5 | $10,182.38 | $1,018.24 |
| 6 | $12,341.32 | $1,234.13 |
| 7 | $14,915.00 | $1,491.50 |
| 8 | $20,034.28 | $2,003.43 |
Budgets shown are the current figures after the 1 July 2026 indexation (+2.6%). See the 8 classifications for what each level covers.
Under Home Care Packages, care management could legally absorb up to 20% of a package — and combined administration charges left many people startled by how little of their package bought actual care. The Support at Home cap of 10% was a deliberate correction, and exit fees were banned at the same time.
Wondering if you're getting value for that 10%?
Tell us what your provider charges and what you actually receive, and we'll give you an honest read — including whether another provider might serve you better.
How to judge whether you're getting value
Because 10% is a cap, two providers can charge the same and deliver very different things. A few questions worth asking:
- Do you have a named care manager you can actually reach — and how quickly do they call back?
- When was your care plan last reviewed with you, face to face or by phone?
- What happens when something goes wrong — a cancelled shift, a hospital stay? Does someone sort it without you chasing?
- Is the charge itemised on your monthly statement, and is it at or below 10%?
If the answers are thin, you're within your rights to push back — or to switch providers, which under Support at Home costs nothing and needs no new assessment.
There's also the self-management route: you take on more of the rostering and coordination yourself, typically in exchange for a lower care management charge — which frees budget for hands-on services. It suits people (or families) comfortable organising schedules and invoices; it isn't for everyone, and clinical oversight still has to sit with the provider.
Common questions
Do I pay the care management fee out of my own pocket?
No. Care management is clinical care, so your contribution on it is 0%. It's paid from your quarterly budget — the cost to you is in reduced budget for other services, not in dollars from your bank account.
Can a provider charge more than 10%?
No — 10% of your quarterly budget is a legal cap. If your statement shows more, query it with your provider, and escalate to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission if it isn't fixed. Our complaints and refunds guide covers the steps.
Can I opt out of care management entirely?
Not entirely — some level of care management is part of how Support at Home works, and a degree of clinical oversight protects you. But the amount and price aren't fixed: self-managers in particular often negotiate a lower charge that reflects the work they do themselves.
Is a provider charging less than 10% automatically better?
Not necessarily. A cheap care management fee attached to an unreachable care manager is poor value; a full 10% with a responsive, capable manager who saves you money elsewhere can be excellent value. Judge the service, then the price — and compare their hourly rates too, which usually matter more to your budget overall.
Sources
- Support at Home Program Manual — care management and the 10% cap.
- Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, health.gov.au — Support at Home classifications and budgets (indexed 1 July 2026).
- My Aged Care, myagedcare.gov.au — Support at Home services and provider charges, accessed 20 August 2026.
- Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission — provider obligations and complaints.