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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-05-08 Daily Xml
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DOMICILIARY CARE SA

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:26): I seek leave to make an explanation before asking the minister representing the Minister for Families and Communities a question about cutbacks in domiciliary care.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: Last month, on the Leon Byner program, a most concerned listener and constituent raised a concern about cutbacks in domiciliary care services. This lady described her circumstances as follows: she is 82, her husband died 12 months ago, and she is incapacitated and is currently receiving Domiciliary Care services for which she had a fee waiver, which meant that she did not have to pay $20 a month, or $240 a year, for the services provided by Domiciliary Care. She indicated that she was most concerned because she had received a letter from Domiciliary Care stating that she was about to lose the fee waiver and that her fees were to go up and that she could not afford the increased costs.

Upon investigation, my office has established that this person receives an annual income of some $13,000, and she receives the fee waiver from Domiciliary Care for the essential services she is being provided with. She indicated, without providing all of the detail, that, having paid her rent, she has only $54 a week to spend on all her food, clothing and general living expenses and that she could not afford the additional impost of $20 (or $240 a year).

Upon investigation, I advise that a Domiciliary Care representative indicated that there is a fee waiver for anyone who incurs expenses of over $96 on essential health and care-related expenditure in a four-week period, and the government department includes in that cost any moneys spent on private health insurance as a claimable expense item.

According to Domiciliary Care, there has evidently been a departmental directive from the Department for Families and Communities that now removes any payment by anyone for private health insurance as part of the essential health and care-related expenditure calculation of $96 a month.

To cut a long story short, what that means for this particular person—and, potentially, for many others—is that the fee waiver has now been removed from domiciliary care. In this person's case, it will expire on 31 May and she will be confronted with having to pay an additional $20 a month (or $240 a year) as a result of what would appear to be (according to Domiciliary Care, anyway) a directive from the Department for Families and Communities and a government decision. My questions are:

1. What has been the reason for the state government to make this change in policy?

2. How many individuals will be affected by this change in policy and will lose the fee waiver that they currently receive?

3. What is the saving to government as a result of this change in policy?

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (15:29): I will refer those questions to the Minister for Families and Communities in the other place and bring back a response.

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