19 May 2005

Hon Ruth Dyson - Minister for ACC

$19.4m for injury treatment and rehabilitation

Budget 2005 will boost ACC contributions towards treatment costs and rehabilitation by $19.4 million over the next four years.

"More people with injuries will pay less as a result of increases to health care entitlements," says ACC Minister Ruth Dyson. "There is also more funding for home-based rehabilitation services, which will help ensure that injured people living at home receive high quality care."

The new funding increases the Crown contribution to ACC's non-earners account, which covers the cost of injuries to people who are not in the paid workforce.

The package includes $9.5 million designed to ensure that ACC’s contribution towards treatment consultations keeps up with the increasing costs of health care.

A further $3.7 million, spread over four years, will be invested to extend the scope of clinical specialist groups, such as neurologists and gynaecologists, and treatments that are covered by subsidies.

Another $1 million, spread over four years, will fund the full cost of counselling sessions that are required for ACC to determine cover on a sensitive claim. This change will remove some financial barriers for claimants to accessing the ACC scheme.

The Budget package also includes additional funding to start to address the shortage of support workers providing home-based rehabilitation, such as home help and attendant care. The amount ACC pays to contracted providers of these services will increase by $5.2 million over four years.

"This will help to retain current support workers as well as recruit new ones and will help ACC to assist injured people to return to independence," said Ms Dyson.

ENDS

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