EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Issued by the authority of the Assistant Minister for Social Services
Aged Care Act 1997
Aged Care (Residential Care Subsidy – Amount of Respite Supplement)
Determination 2014 (No. 1)
The Aged Care Act 1997 (the Act) provides for the regulation and funding of aged care services. Persons who are approved under the Act to provide residential aged care services (approved providers) can be eligible to receive residential care subsidy payments in respect of the care they provide to approved care recipients.
Subsection 44-12(3) of the Act provides that the Minister may determine, by legislative instrument, the amount of the respite supplement.
The respite supplement is an additional daily amount that is paid to residential care services for each eligible care recipient being provided with respite care through the service on that day. All care recipients who meet the requirements of subsection 44-12(2) of the Act are eligible for the respite supplement.
The purpose of the Aged Care (Residential Care Subsidy – Amount of Respite Supplement) Determination 2014 (No. 1) (the Determination) is to set the amount of respite supplement with effect from 20 March 2014. This Determination also revokes Aged Care (Residential Care Subsidy – Amount of Respite Supplement) Determination 2013 (No. 2).
Consultation
Routine indexation of the supplement uses a well-established formula based on the consumer price index (CPI) as a measure of the movements in the non-labour costs of providers. As this is in accordance with the general policy for indexation of aged care payments upon which extensive consultation was undertaken, no specific consultation was undertaken with respect to this indexation.
Information about the increase in the amount of the supplement will be disseminated via electronic media to approved providers.
This Determination commences on 20 March 2014.
The Determination is a legislative instrument for the purposes of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003.
Regulation Impact Statement
The Office of Best Practice Regulation (OBPR) has advised that no Regulation Impact Statement is required. (OBPR ID 11719)
Statement of Compatibility with Human Rights
Prepared in accordance with Part 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011
Aged Care (Residential Care Subsidy – Amount of Respite Supplement)
Determination 2014 (No. 1)
This Legislative Instrument is compatible with the human rights and freedoms recognised or declared in the international instruments listed in section 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011.
Overview of Legislative Instrument
The Determination provides a method for calculating the amount of respite supplement payable for a care recipient, with different rates that apply if the residential care service is certified or not certified.
The Determination revokes and replaces Aged Care (Residential Care Subsidy – Amount of Respite Supplement) Determination 2013 (No. 2), and increases the amount of the respite supplement payable to approved providers of residential aged care services in line with the changes to the consumer price index (CPI).
Human Rights Implications
The legislative instrument helps to ensure that the standard of care and services provided to recipients of residential aged care services is maintained and not unduly affected by the movements in the non-labour costs of providers.
The legislative instrument is compatible with the right to an adequate standard of living and the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health as contained in article 11(1) and article 12(1) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and article 25 and article 28 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Conclusion
This Legislative Instrument is compatible with human rights as it promotes the human right to health and the right to an adequate standard of living.
Senator the Hon Mitch Fifield, Assistant Minister for Social Services