Spending on excluded items

In recent years, the Department of Health, Disability & Ageing has conducted

several reviews of the national Home Care Packages (HCP) program and has

implemented some significant changes based on the findings.

As a result, we have had to adjust certain aspects of our home care package delivery to align with the department's operational guidelines.

The most recent review, published in December 2024, focused on excluded

items. The department examined 5,472 monthly statements for 1,864 consumers across 103 HCP providers and identified instances where package funds were spent on excluded items. By extrapolating from this sample, the review estimates that approximately $70.5 million per year could potentially be at risk of being spent on excluded items.

The most commonly identified exclusions relate to:

• Services, goods, or supports that individuals are expected to cover regardless of age
• Services or fees already funded by government programs, as well as items covered by the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) or Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)

The Department recommended providers ensure all spending complies with legislative requirements, update administrative practices related to monthly statements, and strengthen invoicing requirements with third-party suppliers.

The Department has also advised consumers to be cautious of providers promising to fund items that cannot be legally covered under the HCP program and to avoid pressuring providers to pay for goods and services that they are required to purchase from their own income, just like any other Australian, regardless of age.

If you have questions about this report, feel free to reach out or read the full report below for more details:

HEALTH GOV