Aged care funding algorithm neither fair nor consistent, ombudsman finds
The Australian Commonwealth Ombudsman has criticized the government's aged care funding algorithm for being unfair and lacking transparency. The report recommends implementing a human override to address the high volume of appeals and systemic errors.
Why it matters
It underscores the risks of using automated decision-making in sensitive public services and the necessity of human oversight in welfare systems.
Iain Anderson says Australia's aged care classification algorithm needs a human override. ( ABC News: Matt Roberts )
Use of automation in Australia's aged care system lacks safeguards and has led to unfair outcomes for elderly patients, the commonwealth ombudsman has found.
The ombudsman released his findings after an investigation into the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing's classification algorithm.
Of the 10 recommendations made, six were accepted by the government and a further two, including instating a human override, were noted.
Link copied Share Share article Commonwealth Ombudsman Iain Anderson has issued a damning report on the aged care algorithm, saying the government should amend the law to allow senior assessors to override its decisions when it gets it wrong.
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