Government releases draft transparency legislation for comment

The government has released a draft of its Transparency legislation, which is intended to improve the information the Department has about aged care providers, and making that information available to older Australians and their loved ones. This information will increase transparency about aged care providers’ operations, including how much they spend on care, and allow the Department to publish some of that information, helping the public make better-informed decisions about residential aged care and home care.

Greater transparency may also allay concerns about how government funding is being spent, with concerns that funding is being directed away from care, to items such as luxury cars and related-party transactions.

Draft legislation is available for review on the Department’s website, and comments on it can be made until Tuesday 16 May 2023. While the new legislation could pose an additional administrative burden on providers, the Department is looking at ways to avoid duplicate reporting to improve efficiency. You can read the exposure draft and an explanatory memorandum HERE.