Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) Share this | Hansard source

The Aged Care Legislation Amendment (Improved Home Care Payment Administration No. 1) Bill 2020 amends the way that home-care providers are paid a government subsidy so as to address stakeholder concerns regarding unspent funds and to align home-care arrangements with other government programs, such as the National Disability Insurance Scheme. The bill will amend the legislation such that an approved provider of home care will not receive a payment in advance but will be paid a monthly subsidy for a home-care recipient upon lodgement of a claim with Services Australia at the end of each month. The government has introduced a second bill, which will amend the legislation such that home-care providers will only be paid a subsidy for services rendered to a care recipient during a month, with Services Australia retaining the unsent subsidy for which a care recipient is eligible in each month. This unspent subsidy will be available for a provider to draw down on behalf of the care recipient as services are provided in future. I thank all members for their contributions to the debate on this bill and commend the bill to the House.

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