Gov department evolution confirmed as disability joins health and aged care

Aged care once again enters a new era following confirmation that the Department of Health and Aged Care will inherit disability services to provide all-round oversight to some of the nation’s most impactful sectors.

The signs of change were clear when the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Mark Butler, was officially handed the disability and National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) portfolios on Tuesday.

“I’m honoured to have been appointed as Minister for Health and Ageing, and the Minister for Disability and the National Disability Insurance Scheme. I look forward to delivering on our commitment alongside an exceptional team of Ministers and Assistant Ministers, and working closely with stakeholders in the sector,” Minister Butler said.

This change aligns with the evolution of the Department of Health and Aged Care into the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (the department).

Quietly announced by the Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet (PM&C) after Governor-General Sam Mostyn had sworn in the new ministry on Tuesday morning, the new-look department better represents the complete continuum of care services.

The PM&C listed an extensive list of the department’s overarching 28 responsibilities, including the following:

• Public health, including health protection, and medical research
• Primary health care
• Hospitals funding and policy, including relationships and linkages within the continuum of health care
• Services and policy for the National Disability Insurance Scheme 
• Services and policy for Foundational Supports
• Private health insurance
• Health workforce capacity
• Ageing research
• Health provider compliance
• Services for older people, including their carers
• Services and policy for carers
• Policy for and promotion of active ageing, other than employment policy

The most notable additions here are the services and policy for the NDIS and Foundational Supports, alongside increased responsibilities for carers. 

Both elements previously belonged to the Department of Social Services, which is now led by new minister Tanya Plibersek. 

Minister Plibersek’s department has retained some disability and ageing responsibilities, including:

• Policy and services for families with children and people with disabilities 
• Services to help people with disabilities obtain employment
• Services and payments relating to social security, child support, students, families, aged care and health programmes (excluding Health provider compliance)

Highlighting these changes via X, Professor Kathy Eagar AM noted there are ‘lots of potential pros and cons’, especially on the doorstep of major reform.

“The new Support at Home program is due to roll out 1 July but the final rules haven’t even been published yet. It really needs to be delayed because the Dept is so far behind schedule. Adding these changes over the top risks making it worse,” she shared.

The next few months will challenge Minister Butler, as well as the new Minister for Aged Care and Seniors, Sam Rae, and the new Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, Rebecca White. 

Earlier in the week, OPAN CEO Craig Gear welcomed the new ministers.

“We especially look forward to working with the newly appointed Minister for Aged Care and Seniors Sam Rae and supporting him to implement the important aged care reforms currently underway,” Mr Gear said.

“Rebecca White will also play an important role as the new Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care and we are excited to work with her moving forward.

“It is disappointing to see that aged care is no longer the responsibility of a Cabinet Minister, and we urge the Government to not deprioritise aged care reform at this crucial stage.

“It is important we do not see a delay to the commencement of the new Aged Care Act which commences on 1 July 2025 – older people have waited too long for their rights to be enshrined in legislation.”

Anglicare Australia Executive Director Kasy Chambers further emphasised the importance of quality leadership in the aged care space.

“We welcome the focus on seniors alongside aged care. This shows the Government understands that aging with dignity goes beyond aged care and touches on issues that affect all older people – like housing, income and mental health,” she said.

“This is a crucial time for the aged care system, with major reforms underway and a new rights-based Aged Care Act being rolled out. We look forward to working with Minister Rae to support the transition to a new Act and make sure these changes deliver the quality care that older Australians deserve.

“We also welcome Mark Butler’s reappointment as Minister for Health and Aged Care. His return to the portfolio is a sign of the Government’s commitment to continuing reforms to aged care – and a vote of confidence in his stewardship of the reforms alongside outgoing Minister Anika Wells.

“We extend our thanks to Minister Wells for working closely with older people, advocates, and the aged care sector to deliver a landmark Aged Care Act, and lay the groundwork for long-overdue changes to the system,” Ms Chambers added. 

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For those interested in history, these changes are far from unusual. The first Department of Health was established in 1921, before a bevy of additions, subtractions, abolitions and replacements followed over the next 100 years as the government changed hands.