Federal bureaucrats have defended the rollout timeline for transitioning personal care services into clinical care under the Support at Home program, as well as the decision to defer introducing price caps, during a tense Senate Estimates hearing. The changes, backed by a $1 billion budget allocation, will see services such as showering, dressing and continence care reclassified from 1 October 2026, removing co-payments for these supports.
Department officials said the staged approach is necessary to allow time for legislative updates, IT system changes, provider training and software vendor updates, with system integration expected to take several months. They also argued the delayed rollout ensures smoother implementation across government and provider platforms, including Services Australia systems.
On pricing, officials confirmed there is currently no confirmed timeline for introducing price caps, citing early data showing no evidence of systemic price gouging in the first months of the program. Instead, a broader consumer protection framework is being implemented, including new commission powers, price transparency reporting, and collaboration with peak bodies.
Further decisions on price caps will depend on whether these safeguards effectively stabilise market behaviour.