“There are encouraging reports about the federal opposition committing to increased health funding, but simply increasing funding for Medicare is not enough”, said Paul Versteege, Policy Manager for the Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association.
“A one-off Energy Assistance Payment is about the only thing that pensioners and carers take away from a Budget that ignores the aged care, the inadequacy of Newstart, the lack of a decent national public dental scheme and the urgent need for affordable housing to be addressed at a national level”, said Paul Versteege, Policy Manager for the Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association.
Nine out of seventy Australian BUPA nursing homes are currently under sanctions. The question is: why is BUPA to allow to continue operating as an aged care provider at all?
“The recommendations from the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into the efficiency and competitiveness of the superannuation industry should be the blueprint for superannuation reform in 2019”, said CPSA Policy Manager Paul Versteege.
“The Government still has no plan how to help the 82,000 people who will still be waiting after the allocation of 10,000 new high-level Home Care Packages announced today”, said Policy Manager Paul Versteege.
“Claims in a media release by Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care, the Hon Ken Wyatt MP (Record Growth in Seniors Receiving Home Care Packages, 29 November 2018) are in need of correction”, said CPSA Policy Coordinator Paul Versteege.
“The decision by Australian federal and state and territory Ministers for Consumer Affairs to ‘encourage businesses not to charge vulnerable or disadvantaged consumers to receive paper bills’ is a classic example of a do-nothing policy”, said CPSA Policy Coordinator Paul Versteege.
“Cancellation of MRI referrals by GPs for patients 50-and-older from 1 November 2018 is age discriminatory”, said CPSA Policy Manager Paul Versteege.
“Monday night’s second ABC 4Corners program on aged care has shown in detail just how bad things are in Australia’s nursing homes. CPSA has said it many times: nursing homes are dangerous places and unsuitable for purpose”, said CPSA Policy Coordinator Paul Versteege.
"Monday night's ABC 4Corners program has shown in graphic detail just how bad things are in many of Australia's nursing homes, with relatives of residents resorting to planting secret cameras to record the evidence of violence and neglect perpetrated against their loved ones", said CPSA Policy Coordinator Paul Versteege.
Today CPSA is releasing the letter it has written to Prime Minister Scott Morrisson to offer CPSA's participation in the drafting of the Terms of Reference of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. A copy of the letter is attached to this release:
"Today's announcement of a Royal Commission into Aged Care is welcomed by the Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association (CPSA)", said CPSA Policy Coordinator Paul Versteege.
CPSA is undertaking a survey to find out what our members and constituents want to happen to their digital assets (online accounts such as emails, social media and bank accounts) upon death or incapacity.
"CPSA welcomes that the Australian Government has finally seen sense and ditched its plan to increase the Age Pension age to 70", said CPSA Policy Coordinator, Paul Versteege.
"CPSA supports the Private Members' Bill introduced by Cathy McGowan to establish a social security commission", said CPSA Policy Coordinator, Paul Versteege.
“CPSA welcomes a Private Member’s Bill being introduced into Federal Parliament today by Independent MP Rebekha Sharkie which will force aged care providers to publicly disclose their staffing ratios,” said CPSA Policy Coordinator, Paul Versteege.
"Overall, the number of people waiting for a Home Care Package (HCP) has increased by a massive 3.7% in a single quarter, from 104,602 to 108,456” said CPSA Policy Coordinator, Paul Versteege.
"CPSA is calling on the Australian Government to employ a further 2,500 staff to its Centrelink call centres to answer the 44 million calls annually that simply ring out", said CPSA Policy Coordinator Paul Versteege.
"Services like Centrelink and Medicare have achieved huge operational cost savings by moving their customer interface online. However, access to the online customer interface comes at a cost to pensioners and other low income households", said CPSA Policy Coordinator Paul Versteege.
"CPSA welcomes the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's report that describes the current situation of high electricity prices and bills as unacceptable and unsustainable", said policy officer, Bronagh Power.