Home and Community Care reforms

A shift in aged care policy and funding responsibility includes changes to the Home and Community Care Program (HACC) (except in Victoria and Western Australia). The HACC reforms are being implemented in two stages, including:

• From 1 July 2011, the Commonwealth is funding basic community aged care services, through an agreement with state and territory governments. State and territory governments are continuing to administer the program and service providers continue to receive funding through the state or territory government.
• From 1 July 2012, the Commonwealth will fund and administer basic community aged care services for older people. This will involve direct funding agreements between the Commonwealth and service providers who deliver services to older people.

Fact sheets are available on HACC reforms for service providers and HACC clients and their carers.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs) are also available on the HACC reforms:

1. general information on the HACC transition;
2. for HACC service providers;
3. for HACC clients, carers and their families; and
4. for staff working in a HACC service.

• Industry briefing presentations
  • Video 1 - Preparing for 1 July 2012
  • Transcript: Video 1 - Preparing for 1 July 2012
  • Video 2 - 2012 funding agreement process
  • Transcript: Video 2 - 2012 funding agreement process
  • Video 3 - Commonwealth funding terms and conditions
  • Transcript: Video 3 - Commonwealth funding terms and conditions
  
  
• Commonwealth HACC Program Manual
  • The Commonwealth HACC Program Manual (PDF 11141 KB) outlines requirements regarding the delivery of Commonwealth HACC services, including the aims of the Commonwealth HACC Program, target groups, policies and service types and also provides guidelines for service delivery. The program manual is intended for use by all services providers delivering Commonwealth HACC services from 1 July 2012.

• Fact sheets
  • Service Groups and Flexible Service Delivery (PDF 63 KB)
  • Underspends (PDF 47 KB)
  • Discussions arising from letters of intent (PDF 50 KB)
  • Minimising administrative burden for service providers (PDF 54 KB)
  • Authorisation to use the new HACC logo (PDF 51 KB)
  • The letter of offer pack information (PDF 53 KB)
  • Changes to the Aged Care Funding Agreement and Program Manual (PDF 56 KB)
  • Financial Accountability Reporting Requirements (PDF 86 KB)

• Information for HACC consumers in other languages
  • Arabic (PDF 645 KB)
  • Chinese - Simplified (PDF 602 KB)
  • Chinese - Traditional (PDF 613 KB)
  • Croatian (PDF 615 KB)
  • Dutch (PDF 623 KB)
  • French (PDF 536 KB)
  • German (PDF 536 KB)
  • Greek (PDF 583 KB)
  • Hungarian (PDF 602 KB)
  • Italian (PDF 600 KB)
  • Macedonian (PDF 555 KB)
  • Maltese (PDF 611 KB)
  • Polish (PDF 601 KB)
  • Russian (PDF 591 KB)
  • Serbian (PDF 589 KB)
  • Spanish (PDF 612 KB)
  • Turkish (PDF 587 KB)
  • Ukranian (PDF 592 KB)
  • Vietnamese (PDF 583 KB)
  
  
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language factsheets
  • Meriam Mir (PDF 122 KB)
  • Kalaw Kawaw Ya (PDF 160 KB)

The HACC Aged Care Program Grant Guidelines (PDF 95 KB) apply to the initial transfer of administrative arrangements from the states and territories to the Australian Government from 1 July 2012. The guidelines reflect the direct approach being used to allocate base funding for HACC services to older people from 1 July 2012 to existing HACC aged care service providers. These guidelines do not apply to HACC services in Western Australia or Victoria.

Information about aged care reform was presented at the 2011 Home and Community Care Conference, including: details on the new front end for the aged care system; strategic directions in HACC transitions; exploration of HACC transitional business requirements; and the future interface between HACC and disability services.