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Aged care rules add refund duties and new residential fee notice steps
Key points5 points
- Registered providers must refund overpaid individual contributions as soon as reasonably practicable after receiving a request or becoming aware of the overpayment, and this applies to overpayments made before, on or after commencement.
- The quarterly rollover credit for notional ongoing home support accounts is replaced with a credit equal to the higher of $1,000 or 10% of the relevant base and supplement amounts multiplied by the days in the previous quarter.
- Interim individual contribution rates agreed between a provider and an individual must be recorded in the service agreement, including agreements entered into before the commencement date.
- Revoking a specialised status determination on the System Governor's initiative requires written notice, stated reasons and a submission period of at least 28 days before the revocation is decided.
- Schedule 2 commences 31 October 2026, Schedule 1 (Commissioner notices) commences 1 July 2027, and Schedule 3 commences 11 January 2027.
Summary
The Minister for Aged Care and Seniors has made amendments to the Aged Care Rules 2025 that create a Commissioner notice pathway, change home support rollover credits, and tighten contribution and fee processes.
Registered providers must now refund overpaid individual contributions and record agreed interim contribution rates in service agreements. Specialised status revocations require at least 28 days' written notice, and residential care fee notices and accommodation contribution calculations include new disregard rules. Providers should review billing, agreement templates and refund procedures before the commencement dates.