Switching home care package providers can be a daunting and stressful experience, but it doesn’t have to be! You may need to switch home care package providers if you move house, want new services or carers, or are tired of paying excessive costs and fees. We’ve broken down the entire process into five simple steps to switch home care package providers.
1. Review the terms and conditions in your current home care agreement
You are free to change your home care package provider at any time, for any reason. However, your current home care provider may have some terms and conditions that you will need to investigate. They may have specific notice periods that you will have to meet before you can switch to another provider. Their terms and conditions will also specify whether you must pay an exit fee. If you move to another provider, any unspent funds will be transferred to your new provider within 70 days of your final day of service at your old provider.
2. Compare other home care package providers
Make sure you know which new home care package provider you will switch to before you cancel with your current provider. This way, you won’t have any interruption with your care services and the switch can be as seamless as possible. Make sure you know the difference between self-managed and fully managed home care, as changing to a self-managed plan may save you massively on costs and fees and double your care hours compared to traditional providers.
There are some helpful tools you can use to help with choosing a home care package provider. My Aged Care’s find a provider tool is easy to use and will show you all the providers in your area. Make sure you know the questions to ask when choosing a home care package provider, and use our provider comparison guide to choose which provider will work best for you.
3. Re-activate your home care package referral code
Your new provider will need your referral code before you can start receiving their services. But since this code was used when you signed up with your current provider, you will need to call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 to re-activate your referral code.
Once this code has been re-activated, you can pass this on to your new choice of home care package provider. This will send your current provider a notification that you are looking to change providers. This is not an official notice that you are ceasing services with them – you will need to have a discussion with your current provider to agree on an official end date.
4. Inform your current provider and agree on an end date
The Charter of Aged Care Rights outlines that you have a responsibility to tell your provider of the day you intend to stop receiving their services. You don’t have to complete this process without any help – you can call My Aged Care for assistance on 1800 200 422. You can also get help from friends, family, or advocacy groups.
You will need to provide a formal written notice to your current provider of the date you will no longer be receiving their services. You have 56 days from the end date with your current provider to enter a new agreement with a new home care package provider. If you need more time, call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 to request a 28-day extension.
5. Start receiving care from your new home care package provider
You will start receiving care under your new home care package provider on the start date you have agreed on. This start date must be after the end date that you have agreed with your previous provider – the dates cannot overlap. Any unspent funds from your previous provider will be transferred to your new provider within 70 days of your agreed end date.
Switching providers doesn’t mean you need to switch which care services or carers you use. At Trilogy Care, you are free to choose the services that meet your needs, from the carers you choose, at a time and place that works for you. If you’re switching from another provider, you can easily bring your services and carers across to your new plan so that there will be no interruption in your care.
In those five simple steps, you’ll have switched providers and can get more out of your home care package! If you need more help with switching providers, check out My Aged Care’s changing providers checklist, and have a look through some home care package provider comparisons. You’ll also want to know what happens to unspent funds when you switch providers so that you can make the most of your home care package at your new provider.
