How to switch Support at Home providers
You are free to change your registered Support at Home provider at any time. There is no penalty and no break in your funding. The process takes around two weeks if everyone is responsive. Here is how to make the switch with the least stress.
- Free to switch. No penalty
- Two weeks typical timeline
- Your funding moves with you
- Get the new provider's price list and care plan offer in writing before you commit
Step 1: shortlist new providers
Ask your GP, friends in similar situations, and your community for recommendations. Compare the published hourly rates against the network median using the Provider Price Checker. Shortlist three. Call each and ask the same set of questions.
Step 2: get pricing in writing
- Published hourly rate for each common service
- Cancellation policy (notice period, fee)
- Whether services are delivered in-house or subcontracted (brokered)
- How they handle weekend and public holiday rates
- Care manager allocation: same person every visit or rotation
Step 3: lodge the change
Call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 and ask to change providers. They give you a referral code. Take it to the new provider. The new provider contacts the old one and arranges the file transfer. Your funding moves with you. There is no gap in service if the timing is well managed.
Red flags that justify a switch
- Rates consistently above the published network median
- A care manager you can never reach
- Statements that are late, vague, or full of errors
- Workers who change every visit with no handover
What moves with you when you switch
- Your Support at Home funding and your classification
- Unspent budget, under the standard rollover rules
- Your current care plan and service history
- Any equipment the participant owns outright