Comment
Older Australians win in Federal Budget
This year, several of the Council on the Ageing’s key Budget priorities have come to fruition. COTA’s national policy officer, VERONICA SHEEN, explains.
Advocacy does bring results!
In this year’s Federal Budget, the Government has responded favourably to the message the Council on the Ageing (COTA) delivered about the needs of older Australians.
Here’s how older people have benefited.
Community Care
COTA identified better coordination of community care as a high priority. It’s pleasing, then, that the Government is introducing a new service which, through a single phone call, will provide information about community care services in your local area. Older people themselves, family members, general practitioners, and other service providers and health professionals will be able to use this service. It will become operational in most areas from mid 2000.
Additional funding for respite care for carers of people with dementia and other cognitive illnesses is another Budget success story.
Improved Health Services
COTA has been asking that greater resources be put into preventative health measures for older people. The Government has come to the party with the following new programmes.
• Annual voluntary health assessments for all people 75 years and older, in their own homes where possible. This will commence on 1 November 1999.
• Incentives for general practitioners to develop care plans for people over 65 with complex and chronic health needs. This may involve allied health, nursing and other home care professionals.
• Extension of coordinated care programs for older Australians.
• Additional funding for preventing falls in older people.
• Additional funding for hearing services
Stabilising Private Health Insurance
COTA has been very concerned about the spiralling costs of private health insurance in recent years and we have advocated action to bring the situation under control. This has been an important priority as 51 per cent of our members have private health insurance and have been struggling to keep up payments.
The Government is introducing a system of Lifetime Health Cover as a means to stabilise the costs of private health insurance by encouraging long term membership. The scheme will reward people who have been making contributions over many years. In addition, everyone born before 1 July 1934 will be exempt from any cost penalties and will be able to take out private health insurance at the lowest rates whenever they choose.
Residential Aged Care
Older people who have been in nursing home care since before 1 October 1997 and who move to another facility will not pay the accommodation charge and those who have already paid the charge will be reimbursed.
Indigenous Health
The Budget has delivered additional funding of $78 million over four years for primary health care for indigenous Australians and $20.6 million over four years for improved living conditions in remote communities. COTA welcomes this additional funding because of significant concerns we have about the reduced life expectancies of indigenous Australians. COTA has made a number of recommendations on indigenous health care in its Budget Submission in the last two years.
