Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is not a recharge issue.

A government member: It's an operator issue then!

It is likely to be an operator issue. But I digress. In February of this year, the minister launched the Increasing Choice in Home Care changes, which allow older Australians to direct funding to the aged-care provider of their choice. These changes make their home care packages portable if they move and allow them to change provider if they are not satisfied. The changes also further developed the My Aged Care online portal so that it operates as a genuine virtual marketplace where providers can market their services and consumers can find providers that are right for them.

The Turnbull government is not just improving the way the system works. We are also investing the money that is needed, almost $100 billion over the next five years alone. We are seeing the results of the Turnbull government's commitment to aged care in my own electorate of Fisher. Last week, the results of the 2016-17 aged-care approvals round were announced. The government is investing $649 million to create 10,000 residential aged-care places to provide greater choice for consumers, especially in regional communities like ours, on the Sunshine Coast. My electorate has been a beneficiary of this program, with 140 places allocated for residential care in Fisher. In particular, 120 places were allocated for a brand-new residential-care community on the Sunshine Coast, the planned Palm Lake Care Caloundra. In addition, TriCare Kawana Waters received a further 20 places. These 140 places will go a long way to ensuring greater choice for seniors in my seat of Fisher, on the Sunshine Coast.

There have of course been challenges in executing the new system. I have a constituent, Mrs Julie Penlington, who has written to me to tell me about the difficulties that a close member of her family has had in receiving a timely ACAT assessment. The process has been slow, and Julie tells me that she has heard from other older people who have unfortunately had a similar experience. We need to do everything we can to ensure that the aged-care system is straightforward to navigate and that there are no unnecessary barriers.

In the light of what I said, Assistant Minister, what is the government doing to support choice in aged-care provision for older Australians? What is the government going to do to ensure that aged-care packages are accessible and to improve the process of ACAT assessment? (Time expired)

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