The ANAO could assess the implementation and delivery of the aged care single assessment system. Aged care needs assessments for home and residential care are delivered through contracted organisations. In December 2024, the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing awarded $1.5 billion in five-year contracts to organisations to conduct aged care assessments. The 2025–26 Federal Budget provided $53.2 million to support the staged digital implementation of the Aged Care Act 2024 to ensure continuity of assessment services, including through a single assessment system. As of October 2025, approximately 113,150 people were waiting for an aged care assessment, with an average wait time of 53.5 days (excluding assessments in the hospital setting). The single assessment system commenced in December 2025, consolidating three previous assessment arrangements, with the aim of simplifying and improving a person’s experience as they enter and progress through the aged care system. An integrated assessment tool uses a rules-based algorithm to classify older people into different funding levels.