Number of older Australians stuck in hospital beds skyrockets as states plead with minister

The number of older Australians languishing in hospitals for weeks and months waiting for an aged care bed has ballooned.

The States and Territories met on Friday, demanding the Federal Government dump its controversial cut to private health rebates for over 65s, claiming it'll only make the problem worse.

States and territories were united in their plea to one man - Federal Health Minister Mark Butler - as they search for a solution that's hard to come by.

"We need action now," Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls said.

His Tasmanian counterpart, Bridget Archer, agreed.

"[People are] stuck in that hospital medically fit for discharge with nowhere to go," she said.

While NT Health Minister Steve Edgington asked for people to see the humanity in the situation.

"These people are people's grandfathers, mothers, aunties, uncles, we need to find a better solution," he said.

NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said states, “need to see as many home care packages released as quickly as possible”.

But the Health Minister says there's only so much the government can do.

"The Commonwealth budget doesn't have money available for new spending," Butler said.

In the last 12 months, the number of people stranded in hospitals waiting for aged care beds went from 2700 last year, to more than 3600 this year.

That's an increase of 33 per cent, despite the federal government pouring billions into the aged care system.

"They have substantially increased funding and we have to give them credit for that but costs have gone up much, much faster," Aging Australia's Tom Symondson said.

The government's plans to scrap private health insurance rebates for over 65s is again under renewed scrutiny, with predictions thousands of people could drop their cover entirely.

"I'd prefer not to have made those changes," Bulter said. "But we have to start taking difficult decisions."

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor said it would "push more and more Australians, older Australians, into the public health system".

That’s something Catholic Health Australia agrees with.

"Millions of dollars will have to be picked up by the state government in order to treat these patients that can no longer access care through the private system," Katharine Bassett said.

And that prediction is a nightmare scenario for states amid a rapidly ageing population.

"We just cannot have a situation where we have any more pressure put on our states and territories' public hospitals," Park said.