National Health Reform finalised

The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) released its long-awaited National Health Reform Agreement yesterday (Tuesday, 2 August 2011), which promises simplified access to a wider range of care for older people.

A statement released by Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s office, indicated the reforms would “…ensure clearer lines of accountability for care of younger people with disabilities and older people requiring care”.

The Commonwealth will now be directly responsible for funding basic community care in most states and territories (excluding Victoria and Western Australia until otherwise agreed) for people aged 65 years and over, in addition to its existing responsibility for community aged care packages and residential aged care.

The agreement stated that in NSW, QLD, Tasmania, ACT and NT, the Commonwealth will be responsible for regulating packaged community and residential aged care delivered under Commonwealth aged care programs; funding packaged community and residential aged care delivered under Commonwealth aged care programs for people aged 65 years and over (50 years and over for Indigenous Australians); and funding and regulating basic community care services for people aged 65 years and over (50 years and over for Indigenous Australians).

It will also fund specialist disability services delivered by the states in accordance with their responsibilities under the National Disability Agreement for people aged 65 years and over (50 years and over for Indigenous Australians). The states will remain responsible for regulating specialist disability services delivered under the National Disability Agreement.

Under the National Health Reform Agreement, the Commonwealth will also provide an extra $16.4 billion through to 2019-20, for public hospitals which claims to enable hospitals to take on millions of extra services. Some of these extra services include 2.9 million extra cases in emergency departments; two million additional in-patient services, such as major surgery or treatment for severe conditions such as kidney failure or a heart attack; and 19 million more outpatient consultations including minor surgery or physiotherapy.

Under the new landmark agreement, other responsibilities will be shared between the Commonwealth and states; including the responsibility of providing a continuity of care across health services, aged care and disability services to ensure smooth client transitions.

“The implementation of the new arrangements for basic community care maintenance and support services will be carefully managed to ensure continuity of care for clients,” the statement read.

 “It is expected that basic level community care services will continue to be delivered through a mix of local government, state agency and non-government providers, and that individual providers will continue to be able to deliver both community disability and community aged care services during the implementation period and beyond.”

This new agreement began with a commitment made by COAG in February this year, replacing the National Health and Hospitals Network Agreement and the Heads of Agreement on National Health Reform.

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