Labor proposes new escalation pathway for IAT assessment disputes

The federal government has moved to establish a new review pathway for some aged care assessment decisions, with the proposed changes drawing both measured support and fierce criticism.

The Aged Care Legislation Amendment (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Aged Care Commissioner and Other Measures) Bill 2026, would introduce an additional review process for certain home support classification and priority decisions made using the aged care Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT).

Under Labor’s proposal, approved assessors would be able to request a review of specified decisions with the consent of the older person. The review would be undertaken by the System Governor or a departmental delegate not involved in the original decision.

Aged Care and Seniors Minister Sam Rae told Parliament the amendment would create a formal mechanism for exceptional cases to be reconsidered.

“This amendment establishes the capacity for an escalation pathway for home support assessment decisions,” he said.

It will make a real difference to older people who have complex extenuating circumstances that don’t fit neatly into existing assessment processes.”

Minister Rae said the pathway would allow assessment organisations to refer exceptional cases to the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, with further details to be determined through the Aged Care Rules following consultation.

The proposal marks yet another shift in the debate around the aged care IAT, which is used to determine funding classifications and priority categories for older Australians accessing support services.

The Australian Greens claimed the escalation pathway is simply Labor’s attempt to fix “mistakes made by their broken aged care assessment tool.”

Greens spokesperson Senator Penny Allman-Payne said the amendment was “wholly inadequate” and that “the Integrated Assessment Tool is broken.”

“It systematically denies essential care to older Australians, especially those with cognitive issues, mental health conditions or frailty, and tinkering around the edges won’t fix it.”

The party has been advocating for the restoration of clinical human override to the IAT, or, better yet they say, abolishing the tool entirely and replacing it with a tested assessment system, co-designed with clinical experts.

“Simply adding another review pathway is a wholly inadequate response by the Minister to address an assessment tool that is fundamentally unfit for purpose,” Senator Allman-Payne said.

“Older people don’t need another escalation pathway to the Department, they need the immediate instatement of human override by clinicians and the broken assessment tool needs to be scrapped.”

However, the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) has welcomed the amendment as an important interim step.

“While further reform remains essential, older people need a mechanism to challenge decisions now,” OPAN chief Craig Gear said.

“This escalation pathway provides an important interim solution to ensure that older people get the right care at the right time.”

Mr Gear said concerns remain about how the review process will operate in practice, particularly the proposed seven-day consent timeframe and the potential impact on older people in rural and remote communities.

“The current consent process for reviewable decisions has demonstrated administrative challenges of obtaining written consent from the older person. Consideration should be given to what is required in writing and what can be given verbally,” he said

“The details of this escalation pathway will be determined in the Rules, which OPAN looks forward to seeing once they’re established.

“As the Rules are developed, OPAN would like to see consideration given to consent arrangements, appropriate timeframes, and broad criteria that allows people to be considered via this escalation pathway.”

Further scrutiny of the system is expected via Senate inquiry.