The Senate has passed legislation to restore human oversight to an aged care algorithm described by elderly Australians and their carers as 'cruel' and 'inhumane', with the government conceding some decisions made by the tool need review.
The integrated assessment tool (IAT), introduced in November, is used to determine the level of home support funding and care elderly people are entitled to. However, as revealed by Guardian Australia, the algorithm underpinning the tool has frequently under-assessed people and left them without adequate care, while expert assessors were explicitly prohibited from overriding the tool when it made a wrong assessment.
Legislation co-sponsored by multiple parties
The aged care legislation was co-sponsored by the Greens, the Coalition and independent senator David Pocock. The bill aims to ensure that human judgment can override the algorithm when necessary, addressing concerns that the automated system was causing harm to vulnerable Australians.
The government has acknowledged the need for review, with sources indicating that the tool's implementation will be scrutinised to prevent future under-assessments. The changes are expected to restore trust in the aged care assessment process.
