Information for the Aged Care Sector Newsletter: Claiming changes for Flexible Care, Business Improvement Fund and CHSP flexibility provisions

Published 14th April 2020

Claiming changes for Flexible Care providers

The new Aged Care Provider Portal (ACPP) will soon be available for Flexible Care providers. To prepare for the changes, Services Australia have upgraded the systems they use to process your claims.

You’ll notice changes to the forms and statements you receive.

This includes:

• using the National Approved Provider System (NAPS) identification number for each service, instead of the one used now

• care recipient identification numbers changing to a different 10 digit number

• payment statements having an adjustments column to clearly identify adjustments.

You don’t need to do anything just yet, Services Australia will let you know about registering soon.

Reminder: Business Improvement Fund for residential aged care 

Grant opportunities for the Business Improvement Fund for residential aged care are open.

Providers can apply for grant assistance to improve business operations, or support sale of facility to another provider, or closure where no other options are available.

The Business Improvement Fund is designed to support small to medium sized providers:

• with limited access to other financial support

• facing significant financial pressures which may impact on care to residents or risk service closure.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted via GrantConnect by 2:00pm AEST on 15 May 2020.

For more information, and to submit your application form, visit the GrantConnect website.

Reminder: CHSP flexibility provisions during COVID-19 crisis

To help support CHSP providers continue to deliver key services to vulnerable older Australians, the department has relaxed the CHSP flexibility provisions.

CHSP providers can now reallocate up to 100 per cent of their existing funding between all of the service types and aged care planning regions (ACPR) they are funded for.

For example, a provider who is funded for transport in the ACT ACPR and delivers nursing in the Southern Highlands ACPR can now provide transport services in the Southern Highlands ACPR and nursing in the ACT ACPR if there is demand for these services.

Please note: providers will need to carefully manage their current funding allocation to enable these changes as no additional funding is available.

The decision to reallocate funds across ACPRs should be done cautiously and only on the following basis:

• The re-allocation of funds must be time limited and providers must retain the ability to return to their current regional footprint post the COVID-19 crisis.

• Providers must not leave a service gap in an area they are funded to operate in.

• Providers seeking to reallocate funds to a different region should make all efforts to ensure existing service providers in the area are not already ramping up to meet local demands.

• Providers may still only allocate resources to services they are funded for. 

Limited provision to expand into new service types

All service providers should be undertaking welfare checks over the phone with clients who have ceased services.

CHSP providers of Social Support Group, Centre Based Respite and Flexible Respite have the option to reallocate funds to two service sub-types:

• Social Support Individual (Telephone/Web Contact), or

• Domestic Assistance (unaccompanied shopping).

This ensures that CHSP clients remain connected and supported in their homes. This option is available even if the provider is not funded to deliver these two service types and only applies to currently funded ACPRs.

Source:
Unknown Author, 2020, Department of Health