ACC changes policy by stealth and rejects more people

The number of accident victims whose claims are being delayed or rejected while they are formally reviewed by ACC has more than doubled since National came to government, says MP for Wigram and Progressive party leader Jim Anderton.

New figures released today show that the number of cases formally reviewed has doubled from 0.15% as a percentage of all claims lodged in 2007-2008, to 0.33% in 2009-2010.

“It’s clear that either the Minister Nick Smith or the CEO of ACC, Dr Jan White has given the go-ahead to change policy and deny more claims on the grounds of ‘pre-existing conditions. I would like to know who rubber-stamped this change and why New Zealanders were not informed,” says Jim Anderton.

In answers to written questions, Minister of ACC Nick Smith confirms that changes to eligibility for ACC can only be introduced with legislation. He claims that the increase in the numbers of claims being denied is because ACC is now sticking more closely to the legislation.

“He doesn’t understand the legislation. The Act states that ACC cannot cover situations caused “wholly or substantially” by pre-existing conditions or ageing. That’s fair enough. But since National came to government, ACC is now turning away people for just having a pre-existing condition, even if it didn’t cause the accident. That is a change in policy.”

In a recent answer to a written question Nick Smith confirms that “the key issue is whether the need for surgery is a consequence of an accident or a degenerative condition.”

“In all the cases that I have seen where people have been rejected by ACC, the medical specialists have confirmed that there is no connection whatsoever between a pre-existing condition and the injury. ACC had no grounds to turn these people away.

“Sir Owen Woodhouse’s original report which led to the establishment of ACC makes it clear that in cases where there are pre-existing conditions, the benefit of the doubt should be given to the victim anyway. The National government is undermining both the spirit and the letter of the legislation,” says Jim Anderton.

ENDS

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