Did The ACC Minister Hear Us Properly?

The National Foundation for the Deaf is wondering if ACC Minister Nick Smith heard it properly. NFD chief executive Louise Carroll said today Dr Smith had taken her comments out of context when he told Parliament yesterday the NFD agreed age was not an accident and age-related hearing loss should not be covered by ACC.

“What we said was we don’t believe ACC should pay for non-injury hearing loss conditions and we do believe ACC should be paying for injury related hearing loss. In the case of hearing injury, that is not happening,” Mrs Carroll said.

“ACC pays to rehabilitate sound injury, and any collateral benefit for other conditions comes at no extra cost to ACC,” Mrs Carroll. “Of course age is not an accident, but ACC is not paying for age-related hearing loss. Perhaps the Minister did not hear us properly!

“ACC is operating a stringent, and some would say harsh, assessment of hearing injuries, and last year accepted only 42 percent of claims.

“Those people who actually got rehabilitation – hearing aids and audiology services – from ACC were regarded by ACC as having bona fide sound injuries. They are not getting rehabilitation for other conditions like age, they are getting rehabilitation for the damage they suffered to their hearing at work.

“If that rehabilitation has additional benefit to hearing loss caused by other conditions, well and good. Such extra benefit doesn’t cost ACC a cent. But the fact remains ACC is rehabilitating the injury-only.”

Mrs Carroll said the average age of claimants was 69, and these were people who had worked in noisy environments for decades, had damaged hearing, and were now seeking the help they were entitled to.

“We are seeing numerous people with injured hearing who should be getting rehabilitation, but are being turned away by ACC,” Mrs Carroll said.

“What ACC is trying to do is use the age argument to bring in part-charges which will see those who cannot afford what ACC decides is their share, going without rehabilitation altogether. Half a hearing aid doesn’t work.

“Dr Smith and ACC are in a cost-shifting exercise that will move the burden to an overloaded Ministry of Health system that has no budget for the extra costs, and to individuals who can least afford it.”

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