Politicians slam 'cruel tool' used to determine at-home aged care funding
Labor has resisted calls to change an aged care assessment tool at the centre of hundreds of complaints.
Politicians are criticizing the cruel algorithm used to determine funding for aged care recipients at home. The Four Corners investigation revealed the flaws in the tool, leading to mounting pressure from across the parliament for the government to ditch it. Health Minister Mark Butler defended the tool, claiming it leads to consistent outcomes, but opposition figures insist it is causing unnecessary suffering and potentially deaths among older Australians.
The opposition has offered a path through parliament to fix the assessment process, but the government is resisting these calls. Labor introduced a bill to overhaul the algorithm, allowing human overrides, but the government has blocked its debate. The Greens and other parties are calling for the complete replacement of the assessment algorithm, arguing that the current system is beyond repair.
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