Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

ACC set to be handed over to private insurers

Media release on behalf of ACC Futures Coalition 21.12.10

ACC set to be handed over to private insurers

The Government’s ‘in principle’ decision to privatise the work account of ACC comes at a time when the Minister for Earthquake Recovery has acknowledged the shortcomings of private insurers in Canterbury, said the ACC Futures Coalition today.

“There is no justification to privatise because the work account is in good financial order,” said ACC Futures spokesperson Hazel Armstrong. Treasury acknowledges that it is “performing better than it was when competition was introduced in 1999”.

“The expansion of the Accredited Employers Programme (AEP) will see the expansion of the use of Third Party Administrators, because most of the new employers will not have the capacity to provide case management,” said Armstrong. “Research conducted on behalf of ACC demonstrated that TPAs have the worst client satisfaction record coming in well behind employers who directly manage their own claims and ACC itself1.”

“Concern that making it easier for employers to enter the AEP will mean that less attention will be paid to things such as their commitment to injury prevention. We are of the view that the sound basis of the work account is partly down to the positive impact of the Health and Safety in Employment Act amendments of 2002 which established elected health and safety reps and health and safety committees.”

“When you involve both private insurance underwriting and third party administrators you make it clear that the ‘client’ is the employer, not the injured worker. If people think things are bad at the moment in terms of claims being turned down, just wait until the private sector gets their hands on it. The techniques that ACC is being justifiably criticised for at the moment are essentially private insurance techniques.”

ENDS

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.