How to compare provider prices — and what counts as too high
Support at Home providers set their own prices — planned price caps were deferred in May 2026, with no new start date announced. In their place: prices must be reasonable, transparent and reflect the cost of delivery, the regulator can order refunds where overcharging is found, and government publishes the data you need to compare. Since you pay a percentage of each service’s price, the price your provider sets moves your out-of-pocket cost directly — comparison is not shopping around for its own sake, it is your main protection.
Know the benchmarks
These are the prices providers reported for common services — the median, and the reported range most providers sat within:
| Service | Lower | Median | Upper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal care (per hour) | $85.00 | $100.00 | $115.00 |
| Domestic assistance (per hour) | $83.00 | $95.00 | $109.00 |
| Nursing care (per hour) | $125.00 | $150.00 | $179.00 |
| Registered nurse (per hour) | $144.00 | $160.00 | $186.00 |
One honest note on these figures: they come from what providers reported ahead of the program starting, so treat them as a first yardstick rather than the last word. The current official yardstick is the quarterly National Summary of Support at Home Prices on health.gov.au, showing the median and range of prices providers are actually charging — refreshed every quarter. A price above the median is not automatically overcharging: travel, staff experience and regional delivery costs are real. The question is whether the provider can explain the difference.
Five questions that reveal more than the price list
- “Can I see your full price list?” A provider should produce it immediately — hesitation is itself an answer.
- “What does the hourly rate include?” Travel, equipment and supervision are sometimes inside the rate, sometimes billed on top. Two quotes can only be compared once you know what each covers.
- “What are your evening, weekend and public holiday rates?” A plan that needs Saturday showers should be costed at Saturday prices.
- “When did you last raise prices, and when is the next rise?” Government has asked providers to limit increases to no more than two per year, so frequent rises are worth questioning.
- “Will you show contributions per line on the monthly statement?” Price transparency that stops at the quote is not transparency — see the statements guide.
If you believe you are being overcharged
Raise it with the provider first, in writing, and ask them to justify the price against the National Summary. If the answer does not hold up, the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (1800 951 822) takes pricing complaints and can order refunds where providers are found to be overcharging. OPAN’s free advocates (1800 700 600) can support you through either step. And remember: you can change providers at any time — and your funding follows you.
Turn a price list into a weekly cost — enter any provider’s prices and see what you’d actually pay.
Estimate the costsRelated: what Support at Home costs in 2026 · your provider owes you a statement every month