China
China’s National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Civil Affairs and National Health Commission published joint guidance on 16 October setting out a national charging framework for inclusive aged care. The framework classifies providers as safety-net, publicly supported inclusive, or fully market-based, with a different pricing regime for each category.
Basic service charges at safety-net facilities will be subject to government-guided prices. Older people eligible for centralised support under the hardship assistance system will be admitted free of charge, while subsidies will apply under existing rules to eligible people with financial hardship and care needs. Basic service charges at publicly built and operated, or publicly built and privately operated, inclusive facilities will also be government-guided. Other private providers receiving government support such as discounted premises, construction assistance or operating subsidies may be placed under local reference ranges or government-guided prices. Fully market-based facilities will set their own prices. Aged care facilities operated by public health institutions are classified as publicly supported inclusive providers, with government-guided basic service charges.
The guidance defines bed and nursing charges as basic services, with meals and similar items treated as non-basic services. Local authorities must establish and publish fee catalogues. Providers may not charge outside the catalogue, and an item that has not been properly disclosed cannot be charged. Government-guided prices and reference ranges are to be based broadly on cost recovery and reasonable returns, with reviews generally no more than three years apart. Community facilities providing accommodation and care with more than 10 full-care beds will be regulated under the provider classification; smaller facilities and home-based services will generally use market prices, although local authorities may set guided prices or reference ranges under specified conditions.
Australia
The Australian Parliament passed the Aged Care Legislation Amendment (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Aged Care Commissioner and Other Measures) Bill 2026 with bipartisan support on 15 October. The legislation creates the first permanent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Aged Care Commissioner within the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission. The government says the commissioner will be appointed through an open merit-based process, with consultation involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and the office is due to begin operating on 1 July 2027.
The amendments also introduce an escalation pathway and further review for aged care assessment decisions. The government says assessments will continue to be completed by qualified human assessors, using the assessment tool together with clinical judgement. Other changes clarify providers’ obligations to refund overpayments, allow more flexible payment arrangements while income and assets assessments are pending, clarify service-agreement requirements, and streamline some obligations for local councils delivering aged care. The Older Persons Advocacy Network said the new escalation pathway and independent review would give people a route to have an assessment reconsidered when they believe it is inaccurate.
United States
US Customs and Border Protection announced on 15 October that the mandatory date for the International Mail Entry Type 13 electronic filing requirement would move from 22 October 2026 to 20 January 2027, a 90-day delay. Existing procedures remain in place until the new date.
The requirement applies to international mail shipments entering the United States that are subject to additional duties under measures including Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act and Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, or that are regulated by a partner government agency such as the Food and Drug Administration. It requires electronic entry data and a customs bond, and reaches some low-value shipments worth less than US$800. CBP said the extension would give importers, customs brokers and logistics operators more time to prepare and reduce the risk of disruption to international mail.
Patient groups had warned that the rule could delay, block or increase the cost of some prescription medicines ordered personally from overseas. Reuters reported that the FDA generally prohibits individuals from importing foreign prescription drugs, while exercising enforcement discretion in limited circumstances. CBP’s extension notice did not create a medicines exemption and did not change the underlying rules governing drug imports.
Editorial framework: This briefing uses Sustenesis as an editorial framework for selecting facts, organising relationships and structuring information, with attention to differences and constraints in rules, responsibilities, resources, risks and social relations. Sustenesis functions here as a method of organisation rather than a position or commentary; the body remains limited to verifiable facts.
Sources
National Development and Reform Commission, “NDRC spokesperson answers questions on the Guiding Opinions on Further Improving the Price Formation Mechanism and Expanding High-quality Inclusive Aged Care Services”, https://www.ndrc.gov.cn/xxgk/jd/jd/202610/t20261016_1408188.html
Xinhua News Agency, “Three departments issue first clear charging policy for inclusive aged care”, https://www.news.cn/politics/20261016/3a7be775ba1945258044272b311a10d6/c.html
Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, “Strengthening aged care for every older Australian”, https://www.health.gov.au/ministers/the-hon-sam-rae-mp/media/strengthening-aged-care-for-every-older-australian?language=en
Parliament of Australia, “Aged Care Legislation Amendment (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Aged Care Commissioner and Other Measures) Bill 2026”, https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/bd/bd2627/27bd014
Older Persons Advocacy Network, “OPAN welcomes aged care assessment reforms and independent review”, https://opan.org.au/2026/10/16/opan-welcomes-aged-care-assessment-reforms-and-independent-review/
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, “International Mail Entry Type 13 Mandatory Implementation Date Extended”, https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/national-media-release/international-mail-entry-type-13-mandatory-implementation-date
Reuters, “US delays small imports rule that raised alarm over prescription drug costs”, https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-delays-small-imports-rule-that-raised-alarm-over-prescription-drug-costs-2026-10-15/
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