The consultation paper examines how aged care is funded in Australia and overseas, and considers a range of options that have the potential to transform the way aged care is funded and delivered in Australia.

The Commission's work so far has revealed that there are unacceptable and system-wide problems with aged care in Australia, that the aged care system requires fundamental reform, and that the reforms necessary to improve the quality and safety of aged will require a significant injection of additional funding. Questions then arise as to who should pay for the additional costs required to improve the aged care system and how any additional funding should be raised, managed and disbursed. It is important to the Commission's task that they identify for public responses the fundamental issues upon which will depend the security and sufficiency of aged care in Australia.