Policy:

HHS clients are required to pay a co-contribution for all support services.  The co-contribution is discussed at the time of the HHS Assessment and is set on a sliding scale as determined by income. Client invoices are produced on a monthly basis and payments are required to be made within 30 days of the invoice date.

Failure to pay invoices within the designated 30 day time frame may result in the application of a late payment fee.

Policy Guidelines:

Clients can contact HHS at any time, verbally or in writing should they encounter changed circumstances or experience difficulties that may impact on their ability to meet and pay invoiced services.  Clients with overdue accounts can request a payment plan that will suit their individual circumstances.  Such arrangements will require a service re-assessment to review service needs and co-contribution capacity.

Scope:

The failure to contact HHS or make a contribution toward an overdue account may result in service suspension and formal debt recovery processes.

Overdue notifications include the following:

• 30 Days

Every account with a balance in 30 days will have the invoice Payment Due date highlighted, unless it has a balance of less than $5.

• 60 Days

Every account with a balance in 60 days will have an “OVERDUE” sticker placed on the invoice.

• 90 Days

Every account with a balance in 90 days will receive a 90 Day Letter issued from HHS that requests payment in 7 days.   A “FINAL NOTICE” sticker will be placed on the invoice.  A client response to the 90 Day letter may avoid service suspension.

Failure to Respond or Pay within 7 Days

The Accounts Department will note confirmation of service suspension action in SMS client case notes and will subsequently advise the relevant Area Co-ordinator to notify the client that service is being suspended until such time that the account is:

• paid in full; or
• a contribution is made toward the overdue account as a matter of urgency, together with a firm commitment to implement a regular payment plan.

The Area Co-ordinator must take into consideration Personal Care services when applying a service suspension as directed by the Accounts department that relate to overdue accounts.

The Area Co-ordinator will request a service re-assessment when:

• a payment plan is requested as an alternate payment option; and
• an overdue account service suspension relates to Personal Care services.

Failure to pay overdue accounts will result in formal debt recovery action being taken by Prushka Debt Collection Service.

Additional guiding cross reference can be provided by sourcing the following HHS policies:

• Discontinuing a Service
• Service Re-assessment
• Client Rights & Responsibilities
• Client Co-contributions
• Client Service Charter