Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians) Share this | Hansard source

When I was talking to Seniors Australia this morning, I outlined the process that we were going through and the issues that we're going to deal with. The suggestion that the people who unfortunately passed away while they were waiting for their aged-care package had no access to any health care at all is quite simply a false premise. All Australians have access to Australia's health system, quite appropriately. Ninety-seven per cent of those who haven't received the aged-care package that they've been allotted have access to, for example, some home care services through programs like CHSP, so they are receiving some form of care and, of course, they have access to the Australian healthcare system: hospitals, GPs and all of the other facilities that go along with that.