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Health officials in turmoil over 11th-hour backflip on aged care algorithm override powers, emails reveal

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Ministers given emergency briefing about changes to algorithm decisions just three days before tool rollout Senior department of health officials were in turmoil before the rollout of an algorithm to determine funding packages for older Australians, after discovering legislation had been drafted so rigidly that the tool could not legally be overridden by aged care assessors.

Emails published under freedom of information (FoI) by the department of health, disability and ageing show that, despite assessors long receiving reassurance from the department that they would have powers to change incorrect algorithm decisions, officials realised at the 11th hour this would violate proposed regulations.

Read the original report at The Guardian.

Sources and context

The Guardian

Source headline and summary supplied via NewsData.io. First collected by NewsJaws on 2026-09-17. This is an automated news brief, not original NewsJaws reporting. Dates reflect the source publication. Feed delays may apply.