The Department of Health is moving forward with privatising the payment of $42 billion a year for Medicare, hospital claims and aged care services, including home care. It will change the delivery of home care, especially in villages.

Health Minister Sussan Ley has said “Every day Australians use cards to make Tap & Go payments and apps to make payments. This is why the Department of Health is investigating ways to digitise its transactions technology for payments to a more consumer friendly and faster format”.

Tap & Go will turbocharge the disruptive privatisation of home care where services like the Uber style Better Caring will seamlessly provide a back-office platform. Sole trader carers can then operate independently of large home care operators. This has the potential to decimate the hold on staff for home care operators.