Support at Home (SAH) reforms are changing the way providers deliver clinical care.
Registered Nurse (RN) and allied health services now carry higher costs, putting more pressure on budgets.
StewartBrown’s August 2025 Support at Home Pricing Survey shows that providers’ planned clinical service rates are higher than the Department’s earlier indicative estimates reflecting rising costs and market realities.
The survey of 82 providers found that median RN rates are $181/hour (compared to $160/hour in the Department’s estimates), while allied health services often exceed $220/hour, higher than the Department’s indicative $200/hour range.
While the impact is especially significant for larger providers, rising rates affect organisations of all sizes, influencing budgets, staffing, and the delivery of consistent, high-quality care.
In this blog, we explore why clinical costs are climbing and how providers can use technology like AlayaCare to manage costs without compromising outcomes.
Why clinical costs are rising
Providers are facing multiple pressures that drive up the cost of clinical care:
- High hourly rates: RNs and allied health professionals are the most expensive service categories. Even small increases in hours or rates can quickly add up across hundreds of visits.
- Short or specialised visits: Shorter or assessment-focused visits often carry higher effective hourly rates because fixed overheads — travel, reporting, administration — don’t shrink.
- Complex delivery models: Prices vary depending on location, method, and type of visit. For example, telehealth, in-home visits, or clinic-based sessions can each have different costs.
- Participant contributions and cost recovery: Some services fall under different co-contribution categories. Providers need to balance recovering costs with keeping client charges manageable.
StewartBrown found that 73% of providers are likely or considering adjusting prices ahead of the November 2025 SAH rollout to account for wage increases, transition costs, and compliance requirements.
Raising prices is one way to respond, but it’s not the only solution. Smarter rostering, flexible service delivery, and automation can all help reduce the financial impact of rising clinical costs.
Using AlayaCare to manage clinical costs
AlayaCare matches clinicians to visits based on location, skills, and availability, reducing travel time and ensuring staff are deployed efficiently.
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StewartBrown’s survey also highlights technology adoption in the sector, with AlayaCare emerging as the most widely used platform. Built for providers under SAH, AlayaCare gives teams the tools to manage costs, optimise staff, and maintain care quality.
Here’s how:
AlayaCare matches clinicians to visits based on location, skills, and availability, reducing travel time and ensuring staff are deployed efficiently.
Visit Optimiser lets managers plan schedules to maximise productive hours, minimise rejected visits, and protect margins. Bundling geographically close clients or combining multiple care tasks into a single trip can further cut costs.
AlayaCare’s forecasting tools provide a real-time view of each client’s SAH budget. Integrated with Services Australia, the platform shows funding allocations, planned vs delivered services, and government vs participant contributions.
Managers can spot under- or overspend early, adjust schedules, and plan with confidence. All while safeguarding care quality.
Clinical costs are rising fastest in nursing and allied health. AlayaCare dashboards help providers track where hours are spent and which services drive the highest costs.
By identifying high-cost areas early, providers can make operational changes, such as optimising visit types or adjusting staff allocation, before costs escalate further.
AlayaCare’s AI assistant, Layla, helps staff quickly access key clinical information, summarise notes, and review care plans between back-to-back visits.
Reducing administrative tasks lets staff focus on delivering care, while also cutting hidden overheads that drive up clinical costs.
Benefits for staff, participants, and budgets
Managing clinical costs effectively benefits everyone. Providers can deploy staff more efficiently, reduce waste, and maintain financial sustainability. Participants receive more consistent care, and staff spend less time on non-clinical tasks.
Rising clinical costs are here to stay under SAH. Providers who embrace smarter workflows, dynamic rostering, and data-driven insight can balance affordability with high-quality care.
AlayaCare is designed to support providers in this landscape. Get in touch to see how our platform can help you manage rising clinical costs while maintaining excellent outcomes.
