8th Sep 2022, 12:04 PM – Representatives Aged Care Amendment (Implementing Care Reform) Bill 2022 - Consideration in Detail - Schedule of reasonable charges

The majority voted in favour of a motion to disagree with an amendment introduced by Mayo MP Rebekha Sharkie (Centre Alliance), which means the amendment was unsuccessful.

What is the amendment?

Ms Sharkie explained that the amendment:

aims to supplement measures provided in schedule 2 of the bill. It does not limit matters which may be provided for in the User Rights Principles under the Aged Care Act. It does, however, specify that those principles should include a reasonable schedule of charges associated with the provision to care recipients of administration and management of care, services, and equipment.

The bills digest explained that Schedule 2:

will introduce a power enabling the Government to limit (cap) the fees that approved providers can apply to home care package recipients and remove the ability of approved providers to charge the care recipient an exit amount.

Amendment text

(1) Schedule 2, item 1, page 5 (line 11), omit "recipient;", substitute:

recipient, including a schedule of reasonable charges associated with the provision of the following to the care recipient:

(i) administration and management of care;

(ii) services;

(iii) equipment;