With just under four months until the deadline for the Commissioners’ Final Report, there remains a question mark not only over the makeup of the final recommendations, but also whether the timeline for their implementation will be achievable.
Check out the timeline here.
As you can see, the 124 recommendations put forward would start as early as June 2021 – just eight months away – provided the Commissioners and the Government takes them up.
This includes setting up an administrative unit to steer the changes, increasing the number of home care packages available and beginning to clear the wait list, and establishing the new body of the Inspector-General.
From September 2021, the first reporting on the clearing of the wait list would be made available with all 100,000 older Australians waiting expected to have a package by the end of December 2021 along with the establishment of the new Aged Care Advisory Council and new requirements for residential providers to deliver allied health, mental health and oral and dental health services.
By January 2022, the Aged Care Act would be amended followed by star ratings, minimums for staff time in aged care homes and a new case mix adjusted funding model for residential care in July.
From July 2023, the new independent Aged Care Commission would be up and running, a Pricing Authority established and new minimum datasets being collected.
Finally, the new demand-driven aged care program would be ready by July 2024 with universal entitlement based on assessed needs, further increases in minimum staff time, new fee arrangements and new approval requirements for providers with the first evaluation of the changes set for February 2026.
It’s a considerably tight reform program – too tight, according to some in the industry.
As we reported here last week, Ansell Strategic is currently working with home care providers to develop a submission to the Commissioners for a more realistic timeline to clear the wait list.
They are concerned that the short deadline will discourage the Government from agreeing to the measures.
Operators, while enthusiastic about the need for reform, have also voiced similar concerns to us that the Government may seek to use the timeline to reject some of the recommendations.
Will the sector’s planned media and strategy campaign work to overcome any resistance?