Anika Wells (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Aged Care) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

Today I introduce the Aged Care Legislation Amendment Bill 2024.

Ahead of the anticipated passage and commencement of the rights based Aged Care Bill, the Aged Care Legislation Amendment Bill 2024 makes small changes to the 1997 Aged Care Act that are needed now to improve integrity, fairness and choice in aged care.

The bill will amend chapter 6 of the Aged Care Act 1997 to enable the Secretary of the Department of Health and Aged Care to conduct residential care data assurance reviews.

Modelled on the home care assurance reviews already enabled by the Aged Care Act 1997, residential care data assurance reviews will assure the completeness, accuracy and reliability of specified classes of residential care information and documents that aged care approved providers submit to the Secretary. Residential care data assurance reviews will also help better inform residential care policy and education for providers to provide complete, accurate and reliable data.

Good data underpins good administration. Complete, accurate and reliable data resulting from residential care data assurance reviews will ensure:

Importantly, providers who do not provide reasonable assistance to assurance activities or who are found to have provided false or misleading documents may be subject to a civil penalty.

The bill will also amend chapter 3 of the Aged Care Act 1997 and chapter 3 of the Aged Care Transitional Provisions Act 1997 to introduce a stronger foundation for income and asset determinations, administered by Services Australia and the Department of Veterans' Affairs. These amendments will support care recipients by enabling an income and asset determination to be varied, and will also:

Finally, the bill will amend the Aged Care Act to clarify the maximum accommodation payment that may apply for voluntary moves within a residential aged-care service.

The amendments to the Aged Care Act 1997 and the Aged Care Transitional Provisions Act 1997will ensure that the next phase of reforms is undertaken using a stronger information base than currently exists.

Debate adjourned.

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