Key Takeaways
- The Care Management fee pays a provider to coordinate your care. It is drawn from your quarterly budget and is capped at 10% of it. The same cap applies to every provider, so it is not something you negotiate.
- The 10% self-management loading is added to self-managed service prices. It covers workforce assurance (checking your worker meets Commonwealth standards) and paying invoices on your behalf.
- These are two different things. One is a fee for oversight. The other is a small add-on to a worker's rate.
- The old package management fee charged under Home Care Packages no longer exists under Support at Home.
- Clinical services such as nursing are funded in full from your budget, so you are not asked to top them up from your own pocket.
Two 10% figures, two different jobs
Support at Home is the Australian Government program that started on 1 November 2025. It replaced Home Care Packages. If you have read your budget or a provider quote and spotted two different "10%" figures, you are not alone. They sound the same. They are not. This guide explains both in plain English so you can sense-check what you are being charged.
What is the Care Management fee under Support at Home?
Care management is the work of planning and watching over your care. Someone keeps your care plan up to date, books your services, checks things are going well, and steps in if your needs change. Support at Home funds this as a single fee.
The Care Management fee is one of the two "10%" figures people mix up. It is a set program deduction taken from your funded budget. It is not a charge each provider sets for themselves, and it is not added on top of your budget.
Where the fee comes from in your budget
Your Support at Home funding is paid as a quarterly budget. Your classification, a number from 1 (lowest funding) to 8 (highest funding) set after your assessment, decides how much that budget is. To understand how your number is worked out, see our guide on the 8 Support at Home classifications.
The Care Management fee is drawn from inside that budget. It is not an extra bill on top. When the fee is taken out, a little less of your budget is left for hands-on services, so it is worth knowing the figure.
How much it is
The Care Management fee is capped at 10% of your quarterly budget. Because it is a percentage, a bigger budget means a bigger fee in dollar terms, and a smaller budget means a smaller fee.
This cap is set by the program, so it is the same across providers. A provider cannot charge more than 10%, but you can still ask them to spell out their Care Management fee before you sign anything.
What care management actually buys you
For your fee, a good provider should:
- Keep your care plan current and matched to your needs
- Coordinate and schedule your services
- Check in on quality and safety
- Adjust your supports when your situation changes
- Help you stay on top of your budget
If you want to manage more of this yourself, you can choose to self-manage some of your services. The trade-off is that you take on more of the planning and chasing-up work.
What does the 10% self-management loading cover?
Self-management is a way of running your funding where you and your family choose your own support worker from your local community. You agree a price with that worker. Your provider then onboards them so they meet Commonwealth standards. Learn more about choosing the self-managed model in our dedicated guide.
When you self-manage, a 10% self-management loading is added to the price of those services. It is a small percentage on top of the worker's rate. It is not the same as the Care Management fee.
Workforce assurance: checking your worker meets the standards
A worker you find yourself still has to be safe and properly checked. The provider runs the background and police checks, confirms qualifications and insurance, and keeps records the Commonwealth requires. This is called workforce assurance. The loading helps pay for it.
Invoice payment and admin handled for you
The loading also covers the money side. Your provider pays your worker's invoices from your budget, keeps the paperwork tidy, and makes sure everything lines up with the rules. You get the benefit of choosing your own person without doing all the back-office work. For a closer look, see our guide on how to self-manage your funding.
Why self-managed rates stay close to everyday market rates
Because you negotiate directly with a worker, self-managed rates often sit close to everyday market rates. Even with the 10% loading added, the total can be lower than a provider's full-service price. We explain the gap in our guide on why full-service rates are higher.
Care Management fee vs self-management loading: what is the difference?
People mix these up because both are around 10%. The simplest way to keep them straight is to ask what each one is a percentage of, and what it pays for.
One is a fee for oversight, one is an add-on to a price
The Care Management fee is a percentage of your whole quarterly budget, capped at 10%. It pays a provider to oversee your care. The self-management loading is a percentage added to the price of each self-managed service. It pays for worker checks and invoice handling. Different base, different job.
A simple side-by-side comparison
| Care Management fee | Self-management loading | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A fee for overseeing your care | An add-on to a self-managed service price |
| Roughly how much | Capped at 10% of your quarterly budget | 10% on top of the worker's rate |
| What it pays for | Planning, coordination, quality checks | Workforce checks and invoice payment |
| When it applies | When a provider manages your care | When you self-manage and pick your own worker |
Why did the package management fee disappear?
Under the old Home Care Package system, providers could charge a separate "package management" fee for administration, on top of a care management fee. Many people felt this was confusing and ate into their funds.
What changed on 1 November 2025
When Support at Home began on 1 November 2025, the separate package management fee was removed. There is now a single Care Management fee for oversight, and the self-management loading only where you self-manage. To see the bigger picture, read our guide on how Support at Home funding works.
What this means for your money
Fewer fees usually means more of your budget reaches actual services. It also makes quotes easier to read and compare. If a provider still lists a "package management fee", ask them to explain it, because that term belongs to the old system.
How these fees show up in a full-service vs self-managed plan
There are two main ways to run your Support at Home funding, and the fees look a little different in each.
Self-managed: lower rates plus the loading
In a self-managed plan you pick your own worker, agree a rate, and the 10% loading is added. Rates often stay close to everyday market prices. You will see the worker's rate, the loading, and your Care Management fee laid out separately.
Full-service: a fixed price list and optional coordination
In a full-service plan the provider employs the workers and offers a fixed price list. Full-service hourly rates for everyday services typically sit 50% to 100% above the matching self-managed rate. You may also choose extra coordination on top. Knowing how to spot each line helps, so see our guide on reading the fees on your invoice.
Clinical care is funded in full
One quick note on clinical care. Clinical services such as nursing are funded in full from your budget. You are not asked to top up clinical care from your own pocket. The Care Management fee still applies to oversight, but the nursing itself is covered.
Questions about this topic
How much is the Care Management fee under Support at Home?
It is capped at 10% of your quarterly budget. Because it is a percentage, a larger budget means a larger fee in dollars and a smaller budget means a smaller one. The 10% cap is set by the program and is the same across providers, so no provider can charge more.
Is the self-management loading the same as the Care Management fee?
No. The Care Management fee pays a provider to oversee your care and is drawn from your budget. The self-management loading is a separate 10% added to the price of services you self-manage, and it covers worker checks and invoice payment.
Do I still pay a package management fee?
No. The separate package management fee ended when Support at Home started on 1 November 2025. There is now a single Care Management fee, plus the self-management loading only if you self-manage. If a quote still names a package management fee, ask the provider to explain it.
Does the Care Management fee come out of my own pocket or my budget?
The Care Management fee is drawn from your quarterly budget, not paid from your own pocket. Because it is taken out of your budget, the more the fee is, the less is left for hands-on services, so it is worth knowing the figure.
Is there a fee on nursing or clinical services?
Clinical services such as nursing are funded in full from your budget. You are not asked to top up clinical care from your own pocket. Some independence and everyday-living services may carry a means-tested contribution worked out by Services Australia.
See what care costs in your area
Want to sense-check a quote? You can compare provider prices in your area and see services and typical prices using the same method we apply to every provider. Trilogy Care operates HomeCare Prices and is listed and ranked the same way as everyone else. Prefer to talk it through? Call Trilogy Care on 1300 318 723.
For the formal program details and assessment, My Aged Care can help on 1800 200 422 or at myagedcare.gov.au. Assessment is arranged through an ACAT (Aged Care Assessment Team), or a Regional Assessment Service (RAS) for lower needs. The program is run by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.
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