What’s changed After the New Aged Care Act & Support At Home Roll Out (and what hasn’t) with Paul Sadler

The last time we had Paul Sadler on the podcast, we spoke about the upcoming reforms to the Support at Home program that were due to go live in November. The reforms are now live and for many older Australians and providers, the reality looks very different to what was promised. We wanted to get Paul back on the show to talk about exactly what has happened after the roll out of the Support at Home program and the new Aged Care Act.  From algorithms that are deciding the fate of service providers without any professional opinion, to funding decisions that are reshaping access to care, we have a lot of questions. Key moments: 00:00 - The last minute decision assessors were told about the day before rollout02:02 - What happens when an algorithm decides eligibility and clinicians can’t override it03:24 - People are being assessed as ineligible or far lower than their needs suggest07:18 - Why this is being compared to robo debt 13:16 - Why people are choosing to stay in CHSP despite higher assessed needs14:43 - When providers are pushed into regulatory risk without funding16:19 - Interim funding at 60% is becoming the default entry point19:15 - Who decides which 40% of assessed care gets ignored 23:38 - The immediate changes that could be made without new legislation 30:19 - Pricing, claims, and what providers still can’t get clear answers on34:35 - Why hardship applications are already increasing 36:31 - What’s actually changed in residential aged care under the new Act 45:23 - Why new beds aren’t being built, especially in regional areas48:21 - Where innovation is happening despite the pressure on the system 53:00 - “The least broken part of the system”  and why it’s now at risk