The Albanese Government confirmed today in Senate Estimates that the Department of Health and Aged Care did not consult with providers, advocates or older Australians before putting an algorithm in charge of the assessment process for Aged Care Packages.
Officials also confirmed that the algorithm currently being used to determine aged care classifications was not included in any live trial and has not otherwise undergone any subsequent live testing before being rolled out to make life-changing decisions for older Australians.
Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care, Senator Anne Ruston, said older Australians deserve a human decision-maker.
“It is dehumanising for older Australians to hear ‘computer says no’ from the Department entrusted with providing them vital care with no opportunity for a real person to intervene before the decision about their package level or urgency is made by an algorithm,” Senator Ruston said
During Senate Estimates, Department officials revealed that the most common complaint from assessors was the removal of human override from the decision-making process.
At the same time, the Department was unable to explain how the tool was validated and whether any acceptable error rate was established.
The Department also confirmed that the algorithm now driving assessment outcomes was not subject to any live trial prior to its implementation, despite being used to determine access to aged care funding for older Australians.
“Anthony Albanese and Mark Butler have rolled out a system with serious impacts on some of the most vulnerable people in the country without a proper trial, without consultation and without being able to explain why the computer so often gets the answer wrong,” Senator Ruston said.
“What makes this even more extraordinary is that last week Tanya Plibersek told Parliament that this Labor Government would never ‘hand over decision making to abstract computer programs’ when that is exactly what it has done.”
Senator Ruston said the Government needs to admit it got it wrong on the Integrated Assessment Tool and fix the system for older Australians.
“The Department’s evidence also raised further concerns about governance and legality, including its refusal to confirm whether legal advice was sought regarding the removal of human override powers,” Senator Ruston said.
“The Government must immediately release the evidence underpinning the algorithm, disclose how often assessor recommendations differ from algorithm outcomes, confirm whether legal advice was sought on the removal of human override powers, and restore meaningful human override to the assessment process.
“Australians deserve transparency, accountability and proper safeguards when it comes to decisions about their care,” Senator Ruston said.
“Right now, the message from the Government to older Australians waiting for Aged Care packages appears to be simple: computer says no.”
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