Both Houses of Parliament have passed the Aged Care Amendment (Movement of Provisionally Allocated Places) Bill 2019, amending the Aged Care Act 1997 (the Act) to allow the Department of Health to allow approved providers to move provisionally allocated places from one region to another within a state or territory.

Currently, approved providers are allocated residential aged care places in a region through the Aged care Approvals Round (ACAR).

Historically, the Department has considered applications for providers to move these places between regions – but the Act didn’t permit the region to be changed.

Aged care consultant James Underwood (pictured) tells us the change has been in progress in Canberra for some time and many will be pleased to see its passage.

“Freeing up arrangements to move provisional approvals of residential aged care places to another aged care planning region within a state allows the sector to respond to changes in needs and also react to inability to get places operating in some specific areas for planning approval or other reasons,” he said.

“Providers will still have to demonstrate to the Department of Health that there is good reason for the proposed move and that any special conditions or special needs groups included in the original approval are had regard to.”