Bupa is rolling out a fee schedule under which aged care residents who do not pay $42 per day will receive only a continental breakfast instead of a cooked breakfast, ABC News reported. The paid meal option, called the Enhanced Dining Experience, costs $15,330 per year and covers more than 5,000 aged care residents across Bupa facilities.
The fee structure operates under the Higher Everyday Living Fees program, introduced as part of the government's aged care changes and designed to allow providers to charge residents for services that may previously have been provided at no extra cost. HELF replaced additional service fees that some providers had previously charged in parts of their facilities, separating fee-paying residents from others. Under the Enhanced Dining Experience package, residents receive two hot breakfasts weekly, an additional hot meal at lunch each day, a lunchtime dessert, and an alcoholic or soft drink with both lunch and dinner.
Bupa confirmed that residents opting out of its paid package receive only a continental breakfast, while residents with a dietitian recommendation may access cooked protein options at no additional charge. Dietitians Australia president Fiona Willer noted the absence of in-house dietitians at many aged care providers, raising concern that residents might have to reach a malnutrition diagnosis before accessing basic breakfast protein. The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission stated that current law does not mandate specific foods, including cooked eggs, nor does it oblige providers to serve a hot breakfast to all residents daily.
Bundled packages across the sector range from minimal or no extra cost at some providers to as much as $20,000 extra annually at others. Western Australian provider Oryx Communities charges $32.43 per day for a package including barista-style coffee and petits fours, and levies $39.75 daily on every resident for pay television, with non-paying residents having their television disabled. Not-for-profit provider Royal Freemasons' Benevolent Institution charges $1,900 annually for access to a non-contracted pharmacy and offers mini-fridge cleaning in residents' rooms for $570 per year.
Advocacy group Advocare argued that in-room televisions, phones and wi-fi should be standard inclusions, warning that the current approach produces an unequal, two-tiered environment that affects resident dignity. The ABC submitted HELF price lists from nearly twelve providers to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, which indicated it would examine the material and determine if further investigation was needed.
Residents and families across the aged care sector may face optional fees totalling thousands of dollars per year for services including meals, entertainment, pharmacy choice and room-based amenities, depending on their provider. People with HELF-related concerns can reach the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission by calling 1800 951 822 or through its online service.
Reporting: ABC News
Background: Insurance Business, iTnews
Written by Pick & Scroll News from the reporting and documents linked above.
