Watchdog urges human override of aged care algorithm decisions

The Commonwealth Ombudsman has criticized an algorithm used by the federal health department to assign levels of aged care support for older Australians at home, according to naroomanewsonline.com.au. The algorithm, introduced in November as part of government reforms, determines the level of support needed to avoid nursing home admission.

Complaints have increased regarding the inability to change decisions made by the algorithm after assessments, with concerns that it has resulted in unfair outcomes for residents and damaged public trust in the system, the ombudsman said, as reported by mandurahmail.com.au.

Ombudsman Iain Anderson stated that the algorithm and its decision-making framework raise serious questions about fairness and consistency, and that the department may not fully understand the legal framework governing the system, according to begadistrictnews.com.au.

The ombudsman recommended an independent review of the system and called for changes to laws to allow human assessors to override the algorithm's decisions when mistakes occur. This recommendation is among ten suggested reforms to improve the aged care assessment process.

It is estimated that about 85 percent of older Australians, or 1.1 million people, receive aged care services through the home support system, mandurahmail.com.au reported. Government ministers have announced that an independent review will be conducted and released in the first half of 2027 to address these concerns.

Health Minister Mark Butler and Aged Care Minister Sam Rae stated that older Australians deserve a system that works for them and their families, acknowledging that the current assessment system is not always accurate and that the government has listened to feedback and is taking action.