Look at the Injury Arthritis New Zealand Urges ACC

Issued by Arthritis New Zealand

Arthritis New Zealand calls on ACC to reconsider their policy on funding joint replacements that are the result of an injury, in response to the study on ACC funding for injury claims published in the New Zealand Medical Journal.

“Arthritis is a reality for many people in New Zealand, but it isn’t the only cause for needing joint replacement surgery” says Chief Executive of Arthritis New Zealand, Sandra Kirby.

“1 in 6 people in New Zealand are living with arthritis. Every person is living with degeneration. While we recognise the challenges in assessing whether the need for a joint replacement following an injury, we are concerned to hear so many people having their claims rejected, even after surgeons have assessed the joint replacement as injury related.”

“We would like to see is ACC reviewing their criteria, so the claim is assessed on the injury or the accident, not whether arthritis is present, because in many cases it will be.”

Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in New Zealand. There is 530,000 New Zealanders living with arthritis, over half are female and are of working age (15-64 years).

Ms Kirby further comments: “ACC needs to look at whether the impaired movement and pain is due to the accident or the arthritis, don’t just dismiss the claim under ‘degenerative’ if there is arthritis present.”

ENDS

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