Ombudsman Finds Aged Care Algorithm Unfair

The commonwealth ombudsman has determined that the government's automated aged care assessment system produces unfair results for older Australians. The finding appears in a 104-page report released on Monday, which recommends legislative changes to allow human assessors to amend algorithmic decisions regarding home support packages. The Integrated Assessment Tool, or IAT, currently determines funding levels after workers complete questionnaires with clients. The ombudsman stated that this process has eroded public confidence in the sector.

Greens leader David Shoebridge used the report to call for a human override during the final two sitting weeks of parliament. He described the current system as arbitrary and unfair for people who need support. Shoebridge noted that workers are frustrated when computers reject funding requests for their clients. The ombudsman, Iain Anderson, expressed concern that the current escalation pathway may not effectively allow assessors to change decisions that appear clinically inappropriate.

The government has partially responded to the report. Ministers Sam Rae and Mark Butler stated in a joint statement that they are considering the findings carefully and acting on some recommendations. They accepted six of the ten recommendations but only noted the two calls for a direct human override and legislative amendment. Rae said a new escalation pathway now allows wrong outcomes to be reviewed by a delegate. He argued this adds a layer of human oversight and nuance to the system.

State health officials had previously logged hundreds of cases where the IAT severely under-assessed vulnerable individuals. These concerns intensified after algorithmic changes were introduced in November. An anonymous aged care assessor with more than four decades of nursing experience said the new pathway is insufficient. She explained that the delegate reviewing a case has not met the client and lacks the context of the in-person interaction. This disconnect adds administrative work and delays for the front-line staff.

The assessor reported experiencing severe anxiety and distress due to the pressure of the automated system. She said she is afraid to accept the algorithm's decision when she disagrees with it. The workload has led to weeknights and weekends work, causing her to consider leaving the job. She challenged the ministers to observe the daily reality of delivering these outcomes to clients.

Shadow aged care minister Anne Ruston criticized the escalation pathway as a temporary fix. She argued the government needs to restore a proper human override. Independent senator David Pocock accused the government of resisting solutions to a problem it created. Pocock pointed to an ombudsman finding that the department designing the system did not fully understand its own legal framework.

Parliament has two remaining sitting weeks to address the issue. The Senate and the House of Representatives could pass legislation to implement the changes requested by the ombudsman. The government has commissioned an independent review of how the IAT assesses and prioritizes people.