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ACC Refuses to Revisit Surgery Decisions
(June 26, 2011) In May ACC released a report on its internal review into the way it makes decisions on requests to fund surgery. This came about as a result of a sustained public outcry during 2010, which included the Orthopaedic Surgeon’s national body, claimants and politicians. In the report ACC essentially admits its decision-making process lacked legal robustness.
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ACC review body's independence hailed
(May 23, 2011) Changes to ACC making its review body an independent Crown company are being welcomed by Nelson-based national advocacy organisation Access Support Services.
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Open Letter to ACC re: Surgery Funding Decisions
(May 18, 2011) To: Denise Cosgrove, General Manager Claims Management,ACC Corporate Head Office.
I am writing to you regarding the outcome of ACC’s recent internal review into elective surgery funding decisions and the potential unfairness brought about as a result of the way ACC has been making these decisions since 2009.
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"ACC Must Revisit Surgery Funding Decisions"
- Advocate
(May 16, 2011) Last week ACC released the findings of its internal review into decision-making regarding funding surgery. The report revealed that in the nine months to March; 44 per cent of the ACC decisions declining to fund surgery challenged through the independent review process were overturned in favour the claimant, compared with average of 25% for all decisions for the same period. The general manager of claims management, Denise Cosgrove, said ACC was implementing recommendations from the review report which were expected to make improvements for claimants.
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"ACC Playing Numbers Game" – Advocate
(May 14, 2011) In a recently released report titled "ACC Review of Elective Surgery Decision-making" ACC's internal review shows that in 2009/10 of 1,167 declined surgery decisions challenged through the review process, 36% were found to be wrong. Between July 2010 and March 2011 this increased to an average of 44% of surgery decisions were overturned at review.
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"ACC's Culture Must Change"
- Advocate
(December 13, 2010) Over the last year there have been numerous negative
media reports about the way ACC is managing claims, especially concerning sexual
abuse victims and decisions declining surgery funding. Many organisations, including
medical practitioners, counsellors and lawyers, have expressed the same concerns
raised by Access Support Services.
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Shutdown ACC's 'Sensitive
Claims Unit' – Advocate
(November 8, 2010) Over the last year Access Support Services has
been regularly expressing concerns over the way the Sensitive Claims Unit
(SCU) manages sexual abuse claims. Now ACC's claims management business manager,
Sue North, is defending its refusal to implement a binding review decision.
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The Sunday Star Times Story
(April 19, 2010) The Sunday Star Times has reported on a case concerning the actions of ACC staff and our clients since 2006, including what appears to be emails between staff making denigrating comments about our client. We are unable to comment on this particular case at present because the matter is the subject of further investigation, which may involve the Police.
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Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics
(March 29, 2010) An email exchange between David Wadsworth (Advocate) and Laurie Edwards (ACC's Lead Advisor, Media and Public Relations) about ACC's claim that only 1% of its surgery decisions are overturned at review.
Read the emails . . .
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ACC looking to revoke historic Sexual Abuse claims
(January 25, 2010) Access Support Services understands ACC are looking at stopping all entitlements to claimants who lodged sexual abuse claims under former Acts if the actual abuse occurred prior to the introduction of the ACC scheme in 1974. If this is the case then hundreds, if not thousands, of claimants suffering from a mental illness caused by sexual abuse will be exited from the ACC scheme.
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ACC refuses 4 in 5 shoulder surgery requests
(December 17, 2009) In Parliament's question time on Tuesday Labour's Ruth Dyson asked the Minister for ACC why ACC are rejecting 80% of shoulder surgery requests. Pansy Wong responded by saying "there are protocols for assessments for acceptance of coverage." Access Support Services questions the Minister's response.
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Submission on the proposed Injury Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Compensation Amendment Bill
(November 16, 2009) The attachment is our submissions to the Transport and Industrial Relations Select Committee on the proposed changes to the current legislation. For anyone interested in making submission, the deadline is 24 November 2009. Visit Parliaments website for instructions on how to do this.
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ACC Changes - the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
(October 14, 2009) Dr Smith, Minister for ACC, has announced a raft of measures to assist in making the ACC scheme more sustainable. Changes include increasing levies and reversing the changes the Labour-led Government made to the scheme last year. "We agree levies needed to be increased. It is something we considered necessary years ago. The Government has been running the ACC scheme on the cheap for far too long" says Mr Wadsworth, Head of Access Support Services.
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ACC's Great Leap Backwards
(October 7, 2009) It has been reported today that ACC intends engaging private firms to carry out case management of long-term claimants receiving weekly compensation. This appears to be part of ACC's new 'tough love' policy that Access Support Services first revealed in our media release dated 2 September 2009.
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ACC’s “Tough Love” Strategy Document (PDF) - available here
(September 15, 2009) On 2 September 2009 Access Support Services issued a press release about ACC’s “Tough Love” strategy document (see below), which outlines the proposed changes to ACC’s culture and implementation of an aggressive exiting programme in order to reduce its liability. We have now decided to make a copy of this document, which was released by ACC under the Official Information Act to a third party, available on our website in PDF format.
Read the document . . .
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ACC Adopts “Tough Love” Strategy
(September 2, 2009) Access Support Services has come into possession of an internal document from ACC’s Corporate Head Office. It sets out ACC’s plan to embark on a strategy to reduce its liability by targeting long term claimants receiving $600 or more a week in earnings compensation, reassess its liability to provide ongoing cover and entitlements, adopt a “tough love” approach and use “non-compliance” as an acceptable “exit path.” ACC’s motivation appears to be fear of privatisation or being opened up to competition.
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NZ Parliament Question Time (25/8/09)
(August 26, 2009) Q, 7. Accident Compensation—Treatment of Sensitive Claims
Hon DAVID PARKER (Labour) to the Minister for ACC: How will the proposed changes to the treatment of sensitive claims meet the legal requirements of the ACC scheme to provide “for a fair and sustainable scheme for managing personal injury that has, as its overriding goals, minimising both the overall incidence of injury in the community, and the impact of injury on the community”?
Read the full unedited transcript . . .
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ACC – Only 127 Sexual Abuse Claims
(July 21, 2009) On Monday, TV3's 60 minutes programme exposed 500 cases of alleged abuse, including sexual abuse, at children's homes run by the former Department of Social Welfare. The lawyer representing these complainants said she felt it was just the tip of the iceberg. In the 2007/08 year ACC accepted 127 claims for personal injury caused by sexual abuse. In the same year the NZ Police received 3,700 sexual abuse complaints and Rape Crisis dealt with about ten times this number of enquiries. So why are so few sexual abuse claims being lodged with ACC and how many of these types of claims should there be?
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ACC’s Cost Cutting for Sexual Abuse Victims “a Sick Joke”
(July 6, 2009) Rape Crisis NZ estimates 1 in 4 women and 1 in 8 men will experience sexual abuse in their lifetime, many before the age of 16. Statistics New Zealand figures shows that about 3,700 sexual abuse cases were reported to the Police in 2008. Last month ACC announced it is going to cut funding to the Auckland Sexual Abuse Help Line. This development prompted Access Support Services to request official information from ACC regarding its level of funding for injury prevention in relation to sexual abuse.
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ACC should continue funding of sexual abuse help-line
(May 27, 2009) It has been reported ACC intends discontinuing its funding for the Auckland sexual abuse help-line. The reason ACC has given is that it is outside its legislative responsibility. Access Support Services considers ACC has a clear responsibility to fund such initiatives.
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ACC’s Elective Surgery Unit in Crisis Mode
(May 5, 2009) 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.
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The Problem with ACC
(March 5, 2009) Talk about ACC and peoples eyes glaze over. But the problems with the ACC scheme have been around for a while. Access Support Services, a privately-run advocacy organisation, has issued numerous press releases about these problems and brought these to the attention of both ACC and the Government.
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ACC Admits to Short-Changing Claimants
(January 15, 2009) ACC has dropped a bombshell admitting that from a sample of 144 claimants' rehabilitation plans taken in June 2008 more than half did not meet ACC's "standards".
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Advocacy Service welcomes new Minister for ACC
(November 17, 2008) David Wadsworth and Tony Gibbons of Access Support Services, a Nelson-based nationwide advocacy service, congratulate Nick Smith on his appointment as the new Minister for ACC.
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ACC Changes Opens Door for Exited Claimants
(June 27, 2008) The Injury Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Compensation Amendment Bill (No 2) is set to come into effect on 1 August 2008. One of the significant changes to the current legislation is that ACC must take into account a claimant’s pre-injury earnings when determining if a claimant has a capacity to work.
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ACC Review Fails to Identify Systemic Failures
(April 3, 2008) The ACC has commissioned PricewaterhouseCooper to conduct a review of the ACC Scheme. On Monday ACC released the report. "The PricewaterhouseCooper report fails to identify the systemic failures within the ACC Scheme," said Mr David Wadsworth, a strong advocate of ACC complying with it obligations under the ACC legislation who has a record of overturning more than 75% of the ACC cases he has handled on behalf of claimants over the last 6 years.
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ACC Floods Job Market with "Stock Clerks"
We find if you are male, employed in medium to heavy type work and suffer an injury that prevents you returning to that employment then chances are ACC will rehabilitate you into being a Stock Clerk. It is a relatively low paid job and usually means a significant drop in income for a claimant who was a former builder, fisherperson, forestry or construction worker.
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Maori and Blue Collar workers disadvantaged by ACC Scheme
Maori make up 14% of those who suffer an injury and go onto weekly compensation but only make up 9% of claimants receiving long-term weekly compensation. Is it that Maori rehabilitate faster than other ethnic groups? If so, what is the secret, or is it ACC find this group easier to exit from the scheme?
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ACC responds to Advocates call to comply
Access Support Services wishes to congratulate ACC for responding to our call and making a significant change in policy. ACC has agreed to comply with the legislation and will now inform claimants about their right to have a representative involved when ACC prepare their rehabilitation plan.
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Claimants' Right to Representation
ACC may not be adequately informing you about your right to have a representative involved when preparing your Individual Rehabilitation Plan (IRP). It is not appropriate to have an inexperienced person involved in planning your rehabilitation.
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Your Individual Rehabilitation Plan (IRP) is the most important document, after your medical reports, on your ACC file. Is yours right for you?
There is a pressing need for funding from ACC to cover the costs of advocacy and representation for the client when an IRP is being prepared. The IRP is crucial to a successful agreed outcome in the interaction between case manager and client. Unfortunately it is clear that many IRP's are not written as joint documents but are instead presented to the client by the case manager with the instruction to "sign here, here and here". This frequently results in dissatisfied clients who may or may not be getting the best rehabilitation available to them under the ACC legislation.
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Waikato ACC claimants – A New Era in Dispute Resolution
ACC is to implement an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) pilot at its Hamilton Branch. ACC will offer mediation to claimants as a way of resolving disputes about their rehabilitation plans and most other issues.
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Lump Sum / Independence Allowance and other entitlements
Access Support Services regularly come into contact with claimants who are not aware that they may have entitlement to lump sum compensation and/or the independence allowance. It would appear that ACC has failed to effectively communicate this entitlement to claimants over the years.
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Having a support person when dealing with ACC
ACC problems can be very difficult to deal with. Difficulties can increase when you are in pain, on medication, have a reduced income and need to negotiate with a body that sometimes seems more interested in its own complex legislation, policies and processes than with its clients - who they should be there for in the first place!
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Potential earners
Access Support Services has come across claimants who have never been told by ACC about their entitlements as potential earners. A potential earner is someone who suffers an accident while a student and under 18 years of age, or has been in continuous study after the age of 18 and is unable to work because of the injuries. A potential earner who has an incapacity to work is eligible for weekly compensation and vocational rehabilitation.
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