Cheryl Davenport questions the Health Minister regarding funding allocated before the implementation of the home and community care safeguards policy, specifically its availability, reallocation, and the rationale behind its early allocation. The Minister clarifies the funds were reallocated to nursing home restructuring.

AnsweredQoN 92Legislative Council
Asked
17 August 2000
Portfolio
Health

QuestionView source ↗

I refer to the funding of $140 000 made prior to the implementation of the home and community care safeguards policy. (1) Is the funding still available? If so, how are agencies able to make claims? (2) If not, where has the money been reallocated? (3) On what grounds was the decision made to allocate this funding prior to the implementation of the safeguards policy given that many agencies would not have been able to identify additional costs associated with the fee implementation until it had been introduced? Hon PETER FOSS

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) No. (2) An indicative budget only was allocated for this purpose. Unused funds were reallocated to the state government nursing home restructure program. (3) Many agencies already had administrative arrangements in place for the collection of fees or donations within the HACC program. The safeguards policy does not require agencies to develop new collection mechanisms, so existing processes could be used. The safeguards policy provides agencies with the necessary tools to ensure that clients are treated in a consistent manner and the necessary mechanisms exist to ensure any contribution is based on the client’s ability to pay. Agencies were advised that funds had been made available for staff training prior to the safeguards policy being implemented.
(1) Is the funding still available? If so, how are agencies able to make claims? (2) If not, where has the money been reallocated? (3) On what grounds was the decision made to allocate this funding prior to the implementation of the safeguards policy given that many agencies would not have been able to identify additional costs associated with the fee implementation until it had been introduced? Hon PETER FOSS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) No. (2) An indicative budget only was allocated for this purpose. Unused funds were reallocated to the state government nursing home restructure program. (3) Many agencies already had administrative arrangements in place for the collection of fees or donations within the HACC program. The safeguards policy does not require agencies to develop new collection mechanisms, so existing processes could be used. The safeguards policy provides agencies with the necessary tools to ensure that clients are treated in a consistent manner and the necessary mechanisms exist to ensure any contribution is based on the client’s ability to pay. Agencies were advised that funds had been made available for staff training prior to the safeguards policy being implemented.
(2) If not, where has the money been reallocated? (3) On what grounds was the decision made to allocate this funding prior to the implementation of the safeguards policy given that many agencies would not have been able to identify additional costs associated with the fee implementation until it had been introduced? Hon PETER FOSS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) No. (2) An indicative budget only was allocated for this purpose. Unused funds were reallocated to the state government nursing home restructure program. (3) Many agencies already had administrative arrangements in place for the collection of fees or donations within the HACC program. The safeguards policy does not require agencies to develop new collection mechanisms, so existing processes could be used. The safeguards policy provides agencies with the necessary tools to ensure that clients are treated in a consistent manner and the necessary mechanisms exist to ensure any contribution is based on the client’s ability to pay. Agencies were advised that funds had been made available for staff training prior to the safeguards policy being implemented.
(3) On what grounds was the decision made to allocate this funding prior to the implementation of the safeguards policy given that many agencies would not have been able to identify additional costs associated with the fee implementation until it had been introduced? Hon PETER FOSS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) No. (2) An indicative budget only was allocated for this purpose. Unused funds were reallocated to the state government nursing home restructure program. (3) Many agencies already had administrative arrangements in place for the collection of fees or donations within the HACC program. The safeguards policy does not require agencies to develop new collection mechanisms, so existing processes could be used. The safeguards policy provides agencies with the necessary tools to ensure that clients are treated in a consistent manner and the necessary mechanisms exist to ensure any contribution is based on the client’s ability to pay. Agencies were advised that funds had been made available for staff training prior to the safeguards policy being implemented.
Hon PETER FOSS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) No. (2) An indicative budget only was allocated for this purpose. Unused funds were reallocated to the state government nursing home restructure program. (3) Many agencies already had administrative arrangements in place for the collection of fees or donations within the HACC program. The safeguards policy does not require agencies to develop new collection mechanisms, so existing processes could be used. The safeguards policy provides agencies with the necessary tools to ensure that clients are treated in a consistent manner and the necessary mechanisms exist to ensure any contribution is based on the client’s ability to pay. Agencies were advised that funds had been made available for staff training prior to the safeguards policy being implemented.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1) No. (2) An indicative budget only was allocated for this purpose. Unused funds were reallocated to the state government nursing home restructure program. (3) Many agencies already had administrative arrangements in place for the collection of fees or donations within the HACC program. The safeguards policy does not require agencies to develop new collection mechanisms, so existing processes could be used. The safeguards policy provides agencies with the necessary tools to ensure that clients are treated in a consistent manner and the necessary mechanisms exist to ensure any contribution is based on the client’s ability to pay. Agencies were advised that funds had been made available for staff training prior to the safeguards policy being implemented.
(1) No. (2) An indicative budget only was allocated for this purpose. Unused funds were reallocated to the state government nursing home restructure program. (3) Many agencies already had administrative arrangements in place for the collection of fees or donations within the HACC program. The safeguards policy does not require agencies to develop new collection mechanisms, so existing processes could be used. The safeguards policy provides agencies with the necessary tools to ensure that clients are treated in a consistent manner and the necessary mechanisms exist to ensure any contribution is based on the client’s ability to pay. Agencies were advised that funds had been made available for staff training prior to the safeguards policy being implemented.
(2) An indicative budget only was allocated for this purpose. Unused funds were reallocated to the state government nursing home restructure program. (3) Many agencies already had administrative arrangements in place for the collection of fees or donations within the HACC program. The safeguards policy does not require agencies to develop new collection mechanisms, so existing processes could be used. The safeguards policy provides agencies with the necessary tools to ensure that clients are treated in a consistent manner and the necessary mechanisms exist to ensure any contribution is based on the client’s ability to pay. Agencies were advised that funds had been made available for staff training prior to the safeguards policy being implemented.
(3) Many agencies already had administrative arrangements in place for the collection of fees or donations within the HACC program. The safeguards policy does not require agencies to develop new collection mechanisms, so existing processes could be used. The safeguards policy provides agencies with the necessary tools to ensure that clients are treated in a consistent manner and the necessary mechanisms exist to ensure any contribution is based on the client’s ability to pay. Agencies were advised that funds had been made available for staff training prior to the safeguards policy being implemented.

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