An expert taskforce has told the Albanese government that taxpayers should fully cover the care costs of older Australians, but not certain living expenses.
Baby Boomers who could afford it would pay at least $20 more a day to cover food and cleaning expenses in nursing homes under a reboot of aged care funding designed to accommodate the rising number of ageing Australians.that taxpayers should fully cover the care costs of older Australians, such as nursing, medication and allied health.
Aged care consultant Cam Ansell said the report did not go far enough. “Without changing means testing for the family home, the safety net is too large that most of us are in it,” Ansell said. Instead, the report focused on everyday living expenses in residential aged care, which are currently capped at $61 a day – or 85 per cent of the aged pension – despite costing providers about $80.
“One of the arguments I hear is: I pay tax all my life, why should I pay for my aged care? aged care nurses, medication, allied health are all paid for by the taxpayer. Taskforce member Tom Symondson, the chief executive of the Aged and Community Care Providers Association, said people should not be able to get better care or more nursing hours because they can afford to pay. “That would be abhorrent, that’s not something we would support,” he said.
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