Government moves to ban unreasonable fees charged by aged care providers
The Albanese Government is moving to prevent residential aged care providers from charging older Australians unreasonable fees for services they previously received for free.
Under changes to the Aged Care Rules 2025, providers will no longer be allowed to impose a Higher Everyday Living Fee (HELF) for services that were already included in a resident’s care arrangements before the aged care reforms took effect on November 1, 2025.
The Government said some providers had been charging residents despite existing guidelines stating such fees were unreasonable. The new rules will make those protections legally enforceable.
Aged Care Minister Sam Rae said HELF charges should only apply to optional additional services chosen by residents, rather than basic services they already received.
The Government is undertaking a major overhaul of Australia’s aged care system, with spending reaching $39.8 billion in 2024–25, most of which went towards residential care.
The latest changes are aimed at strengthening protections for older Australians and making aged care costs clearer and fairer.
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Source : News.com
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