The Albanese Government has offered to delay the start of a new program for early intervention autism services and provide budget top-ups for smaller states, part of efforts to secure an overdue deal on hospitals and disability funding. Source: The Guardian.
Premiers and chief ministers look likely to agree to the deal at Friday’s meeting of National Cabinet in Sydney, after Anthony Albanese and the Health Minister, Mark Butler, offered to push back the start of the new $2 billion Thriving Kids scheme to October.
The new program had been due to start on July 1, but state governments had warned they were not ready to take responsibility for foundational supports for young children and a delay was necessary.
Part of efforts to ease pressure on the rapidly growing budget for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, the new program will provide services for children under eight years old who have developmental delays and other low to moderate needs.
Support services will be delivered through schools, health clinics and community facilities. Broader changes to NDIS access rules are due to come into effect from mid-2027.
It had been initially proposed that states and territories would develop their own foundational support programs for kids, but a lack of progress saw the federal government move to set up a new national scheme.
Among additional sweeteners being offered to secure the deal this week are budget funding “adjustments” to benefit smaller states, as they struggle with rising costs for health and hospital services.
Mr Butler and Mr Albanese have offered $23 billion in new funding, part of lengthy negotiations over plans for the federal share of hospital funding to grow to 42.5 per cent by 2030, and reach a 45 per cent share by 2035.
An extra $2 billion in federal funding will go towards speeding up hospital discharge for elderly people waiting for beds in aged care facilities. The most recent estimate suggests more than 3000 people are waiting to transfer from hospital wards to aged care.
Meanwhile, The Australian reports that the states and territories are prepared to reject a proposed $23 billion health agreement from the Commonwealth in a bid to increase Mr Albanese’s final offer by $5 billion. Source: The Australian.
FULL STORY
Labor offers to delay NDIS autism changes if states agree to hospital and disability funding deal (By Tom McIlroy, The Guardian)
Leaders to demand top-up on $23 billion federal health vow (By Lachlan Leeming, Sarah Ison and Mackenzie Scott, The Australian)
