Press Release: 5 May 2009

ACC’s Elective Surgery Unit in Crisis Mode

Over the last year Access Support Services has seen an increase in enquiries by claimants wanting to review decisions made by ACC to decline funding of elective surgery. Most of these cases involve shoulder injuries.

“It is as if ACC has a policy that shoulders injuries requiring surgery are excluded from cover.” says Mr Wadsworth. “We are even hearing some medical practitioners are advising their patients not to bother with ACC, it has got that bad.”

It is now taking months to get these cases heard by an independent reviewer to have the decisions overturned.

“ACC’s Elective Surgery Unit is in crisis mode and it is desperately trying to clear the backlog of cases,” says Mr Wadsworth.

This delay ultimately impacts on the claimants as well as adding significant cost to their claims due to a prolonged recovery period. Those claimants who do not challenge these decisions miss out on their entitlements and end up relying on an already overburdened public health system

ENDS

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