Concerns in ACFI analysis of NSW experience

More than half of residents receiving ‘grandparented’ Resident Classification Scale (RCS) payments in a sample survey would have received less funding, if they had been transferred to the new Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI).

The Aged and Community Services Association of NSW & ACT (ACS) survey was based on the ACFI data of 699 residents in 99 member facilities, and its data was presented to a national aged care conference in Adelaide.

Of the 621 residents who were admitted before 20 March, 360 stayed on the RCS saved subsidy rate, and 261 moved across to the ACFI.

The ACS analysis revealed that 58% of the 360 ‘grandparented’ residents would have attracted less funding if the ‘grandparenting’ provisions had not been in place.

According to the organisation’s chief executive officer (CEO), Jill Pretty, the ACS analysis reflects the overall findings of the Access Economics report on the ACFI, released earlier this month.

But Ms Pretty stressed that caution should be used in interpreting the results, because no ACFI validations have yet occurred.