The next significant change for consumers and service providers occurs 27 February 2017 when the Aged Care Legislation Amendment (Increasing Consumer Choice) Bill 2016 is enacted. Key changes from this date include:
1. Funding to follow the consumer
- Funding for a Home Care Package will follow the consumer, allowing the consumer to choose a provider that is suited to them and to direct the funding to that provider
- The concept of ‘home care places’ will no longer exist, with Home Care Packages being made available to consumers progressively throughout the year. There will be no further Aged Care Approval Rounds (ACAR) for home care; Home Care Packages will be designated to consumers based on priority of needs, and these packages will be portable
- Unspent funds will move with the consumer. Please see below for more details
National system for prioritising access to care
- There will be a consistent national system for assigning and prioritising packages to eligible consumers through My Aged Care
- The prioritisation process will take into account the relative needs and circumstances of eligible individuals and the time they have been waiting for care
- My Aged Care will support consumers who have been assigned a package with referrals to approved providers, but the consumer will be able to select their provider
3. Reduced red tape for approval of aged care providers
