Funding certainty and reform readiness feature in budget submissions

Jackie Keast for Australian Ageing Agenda Funding certainty and reform readiness feature in budget submissionsBy Jackie Keast on February 5, 2016 in Government, Industry9A $15 million per year dementia respite supplement, and quarantining aged care specific workforce programs are among sector proposals to government for the 2016-17 federal budget.In the wake of the 2015-16 Mid Year Economic Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) cuts to subsidies under the Aged Care Funding Instrument, there is an urgent need for a strategic review of how aged care was funded to “avoid reported episodes of destabilising changes to contain costs,” said peak body Aged and Community Services Australia.In its budget submission ACSA argued that it was “untenable to adjust funding and indexation at short notice as it leads to uncertainty around revenue and leads to unstable platform for consumers and providers alike.” Read on.