EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Issued by the authority of the Minister for Ageing
Aged Care Act 1997
Determination under Section 52-1
Aged Care (Amount of flexible care subsidy – Innovative Care Services) Determination 2009 (No. 1)
The Aged Care Act 1997 (the Act) provides for the funding of aged care services. Persons who are approved under the Act to provide flexible aged care services can be eligible to receive flexible care subsidy payments in respect of the care they provide to approved care recipients.
Paragraph 52-1(1)(a) of the Act provides that the Minister may determine by legislative instrument the amount of the Flexible Care Subsidy payable in respect of a day. Subsection 52-1(2) of the Act provides that the Minister may determine rates of flexible care subsidy based on any matters determined by the Minister by legislative instrument.
This Determination sets the Flexible Care Subsidy rate for the provision of disability ageing in place services that are provided by the nine (9) Approved Providers named in Schedule 1 to the Determination, who originally received allocations of places through the Aged Care Innovative Pool in 2003 and 2004.
The nine (9) Approved Providers will continue to provide care to those recipients who were receiving services through the former Aged Care Innovative Pool Disability Aged Care pilots. The subsidy will enable those care recipients to continue receiving the additional care and services for as long as they are living in state or territory government funded disability supported accommodation.
This Determination revokes the Determination (ACA Ch. 3 No. 12/2008), Legislative Instrument F2008L02308.
Consultation
As the indexation of the subsidies uses well established formula based on the Consumer Price Index and the Wage Cost Index 9, and is in accordance with policy upon which extensive consultation was undertaken, no specific consultation was undertaken with respect to this instrument.
Information about the increase in the amount of the subsidy will be disseminated via print and electronic media to approved providers.