The Minister for Aged Care Anika Wells’ office has confirmed that the Taskforce’s Report – due to be presented to the Government by the end of the year – will be made publicly available in December or January at the latest – a positive sign for The SOURCE'S Plan B campaign.
The news is intriguing – and a contrast to earlier reports which had suggested that the Final Report wouldn’t be released until around mid-March.
The whole purpose of the Aged Care Taskforce – which was announced in the May Budget and provided an Interim Report to Government in October – was to ensure the future sustainability of Australia’s aged care system so providers can deliver the quality care that older Australians need and deserve.
The only way to achieve that goal is with more funding – either from the Government via the taxpayers’ purse or through increased consumer contributions, the Plan B that DCM Group has been advocating for over the past two years.
Any recommendations that the Taskforce makes to Government need to be championed not only by Anika Wells but also the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Mark Butler.
If the release date has been brought forward, that would suggest that Cabinet may have already seen the Final Report – and ticked off its content.
If there was doubt about the recommendations, the Government would surely hold off on its release.
New AN-ACC price to be announced in August
The Government also revealed last week that it had committed to announcing the new Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC) funding price in August to start from 1 October.
The Minister has already recognised that aged care providers need to have pricing that delivers sustainable funding and provides a margin.
“It’s clear there needs to be an injection of funds in both the home and residential sector to ensure we have viable providers that can meet increasing demand and expectations for the years and decades to come,” she told the ACCPA National Conference in October.
Given the new price will now be revealed in August, the Government will need to have their funding forecasts ready for the Federal Budget and the Forward Estimates in May.
With the preparation of the Budget papers generally commencing in December, all of the smoke signals are that increased funding – and Plan B – is on its way.
As HammondCare CEO Mike Baird – himself a member of the Taskforce – tells this week’s final ‘Leaders to Watch’ issue of SATURDAY for 2023, ensuring providers have a surplus or margin is key to a sustainable aged care system.
“With a margin, you start to attract additional sources of funding and capital,” he stated.
“Super can start to be interested. Banks can play a greater role. That’s an exciting time because all of a sudden … you can deliver far more than you can imagine.”
The Minister for Aged Care herself has acknowledged that the sector can’t build new beds fast enough to cope with the increasing demand from the Baby Boomers.
“We can’t sandbag against this tide. We must build structures that protect us,” Minister Wells said last year.
Watch this space then.