Minister for Aged Care Sam Ray has announced that decisions by the government’s algorithmic tool used to determine how much funding older Australians receive to support living at home could be changed under “extenuating circumstances”.
The Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT) was introduced by the federal government last year, claiming it would allow for faster and fairer assessments.
But human experts cannot overturn a result, even if they think the decision is wrong.
Hundreds of complaints have been filed since the law came into force, leading to an urgent review of the system.
After consulting with the industry and hearing feedback from older Australians, Ray confirmed the process would be changed.
“What we’ve done here is we’ve listened, we’ve consulted and we’ve done policy work to ensure the best outcomes for older people,” says Ray.
“This change means that while the new assessment system generally works well, there are exceptions and there are a small number of people whose circumstances do not fit within the framework.
“In such a small number of circumstances, the system governor can make the necessary decisions to ensure that these individuals continue to receive appropriate care outcomes.”
Rae says the government will consult with stakeholders during the winter parliamentary recess and intends to legislate the changes when parliament resumes.