With Parliament to resume next Monday, all eyes are on Canberra – what are the odds that the Government can finally deliver the long-awaited new Aged Care Act and its response to the Aged Care Taskforce recommendations?
Sources had warned that if the legislation was not introduced to Parliament last month, the Government risked not being able to meet the 1 July 2025 timeline for the new Act and Support at Home program.
Looking at the Parliamentary calendar for the remainder of the year, the House of Representatives will only be sitting for one week in September starting next Monday – the following week, only the Senate will be in session.
What are the chances of the legislation being passed in just one week?
Zip – there will be consequences.
There are now discussions of a Committee inquiry into the new Act – if that happens with the need for new submissions, the chances of a 1 July 2025 start date for the new Act – zip.
And where is the response to the Aged Care Taskforce recommendations?
Last Sunday, Federal Minister for Health and Aged Care, Mark Butler, stated yet again that the Government is “working so hard on our aged care reform package.”
But what has the sector heard? Zip.
How much will any further delays cost the sector?
StewartBrown had forecast the full take-up of the Taskforce recommendations would deliver an additional $3.76 billion a year to residential aged care and home care after three years.
That is $10.3 million a day in extra funding that the sector is missing out on – zip.
And as we report in this issue, the Government can’t even deliver on their promise for the AN-ACC pricing to be delivered by 31 August.
Is there any word from the politicians? Zip – just more promises that we are “close”.
There is no respect for the sector, or the growing home care wait list where people will be dying while waiting for care – who remembers the headlines about 16,000 people dying on the waitlist?
Aged care providers and older Australians deserve to know what their futures hold.
