Aged care funding taskforce a ‘crazy brave’ and optimistic opportunity

"There is real hope" and "we will get this" were two comments made by a select panel of Aged Care Taskforce members to a record 1,800 executives in Adelaide yesterday. The words "crazy brave" and "respect" were used to describe Minister Anika Wells in her ambition for a long-term aged care sustainability solution.

The panel was made up of:

• Nigel Ray PSM, Deputy Chair, Aged Care Taskforce
• Mike Baird, CEO, HammondCare
• Mary Patetsos AM, Chair of ACH (SA)
• Grant Corderoy, Senior Partner, StewartBrown
• Tom Symondson, CEO, ACCPA
   

The facilitator, ex Q&A host, Tony Jones, opened the discussion by pointing out it is "crazy brave" for a Minister and politician to establish a committee (the Aged Care Taskforce) which they then chair, meaning the committee recommendations are in effect the Minister’s recommendations.

This makes it hard to then either shelve the final report or just accept select recommendations.

All the panel members agreed and also pointed out the short time frame; the first Taskforce meeting was in early July and the final report will be delivered late December – six months.

“Veteran public servant (Ex Deputy Secretary of the Treasury) Nigel Ray said “It is an open process which you don’t see very often. It’s a short timeframe and we need to do it."

"The Minister can be quite scary, a force, and she is a big opportunity for the sector. The objective is sustainability which means more money for the sector."

Mike Baird said “There is real hope. This is well beyond politics. The Opposition has said they will work constructively."

(Following this session, the Shadow Minister, Anne Ruston spoke and confirmed a bipartisan support was planned).

Mary Patetsos confirmed Mike Baird's view of hope – she said, “We will get there."

Grant Corderoy guided the audience, saying, “This is a generational opportunity. If we can put in place a framework for not this year, not for next year but the next 10 years, care (and the way we provide it) will look a lot more different to today.”

Going to the report, Grant added, “The final report must have actionable recommendations”.

Tom Symondson stated “We will not leave the room until we have agreement. Government will end up with a whole heap of things to cover because the result (of the report) will be multi-faceted.”

The panel brought in the importance of the new price advisory board, the Independent Hospital and Aged Care Pricing Authority (IHACPA). With the objective of the Taskforce being sustainability, and IHACPA identifying that its pricing recommendations have been mandated to include ‘sustainability’ and a (profit) ‘margin’.

Mike Baird said, “If a Cabinet decides it will pay less than an IHACPA recommendation, says they don’t want quality aged care – and that would be crazy brave."

Tom Symondson added, “It would be a stupid government that would not agree to a recommended price."

At the same time the panel advised that there are headwinds for the sector.

Tom Symondson pointed out that “my biggest job is to build trust” in the sector – with the regulators and the public.

Grant Corderoy added, “No matter what the Taskforce does, the first step is an education process (with the public)”, to ease in greater sharing of the costs of aged care.

Nigel Ray concluded, “We will be recommending significant change and it will take time."

Discussion during and after the session indicated that the final report will not be automatically released to the public or sector – it may be as late as next March that all recommendations and other proposals will be revealed.

Preparation of May Budget papers commences as early as December. The selling of added consumer contributions to aged care costs will need to be carefully managed well before the next election in 2025.

This indicates, if the Taskforce’s hope is to be realised, positive sustainability change will be occurring in early 2025.