ACC to no longer be available to crims who injure themselves committing crimes

[Robert Taylor]

Fuck ACC

I could get full accident cover for way less than the $1500+ per year that I pay to ACC

And if you are too stupid to insure yourself,tough

EXACTLY, the maths is obvious

[MSTRS:Me]

...the ACC bill would drop like a stone if you forced people playing rugby to take out personal insurance...

That'd work, but just think what the premiums would be.

[FROSTY:Me]

I'm pretty sure that as part of having a track day the organiser have to make a payment to ACC, and that gives you cover on the track.

I think there is even some kind of death cover!

Nope its public liability insurance--a totally different thing again
That said the STAFF at a track day if the trackday is paid employment for them should have acc cover provided by the trackday company.

[Clockwork]

The point was made earlier in this thread that it will only be lump sums and income replacement that will no longer be available to criminals, not cover for medical treatment.

Does anyone have any references to confirm or deny that.

I thought they stopped the lumpsum payments some time ago (if they still exist presumabley they would only apply to serious disabilities. I also understand that ACC payments are not made while serving prison time anyway so while this change is attention grabbing it's hard to see how it will make too much difference to their bottom line.

Finaly, part of ACC's role is to "rehabiltate" claimants so that they can return to work and become a contributing member of society again. Assuming most of the claimants who will be affected by these changes are not full time criminals, wont this stance be somewhat counter productive?

[Ixion]

Fuck ACC

I could get full accident cover for way less than the $1500+ per year that I pay to ACC

And if you are too stupid to insure yourself,tough

Maybe so. But ONLY because ACC exists to cover off your liability to third parties. If you really want to go down that path, it's not just accident cover for you. it's third party cover for anyone you injure, also. Plus cover for legal expenses (go look what that can run to in the States).

Medical treatment isn't cheap. One scan , $1000+. Hospital bed, $800 pd. That's just an ordinary ward, not intensive care. Remember, you're just just insuring thta cost for you. You have to cover other people too.

And we haven't even MENTIONED income replacement, or lump sum compensation. Still reckon you could get all that (no reliance on the State) for $1500. I don't think so.

[Ixion]

I thought they stopped the lumpsum payments some time ago (if they still exist presumabley they would only apply to serious disabilities. I also understand that ACC payments are not made while serving prison time anyway so while this change is attention grabbing it's hard to see how it will make too much difference to their bottom line.

..

Lump sum payments existed under the 1972 Act, were dropped in the 1996 (?) Act , then reinstated a couple of years ago. They are only for permanent disability. There is a 'cut off' trivial permanent injuries don't count.

The present Act (and all it's predecessors) already has a clause that allows ACC to refuse cover to someone injured committing a crime, if it would be "repugnant to justice" . Presumably this proposed change will be to extend that to cases where refusing cover would not be repugnant.

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

Crackdown on ACC to ward off big levy hikes

http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-sto...ig-levy-hikes/
ACC Minister Nick Smith wants to halve proposed levy increases by tightening and limiting entitlements.
ACC recommended increases in the work account levy from $1.31 to $1.89 per $100; in the earners account from $1.51 to $2.48 per $100. Also it said the motor vehicle account levy should go up to $417.28 from $287.
Dr Smith said the proposed increases were too steep and the Government was introducing legislation to halve them.
Key changes included:
* reversing 2008 income compensation extensions covering casuals, part-timers, non-earners and abatements for holiday pay;
* reversing vocational rehabilitation changes;
* introducing a 6 percent hearing loss threshold;
* reversing entitlements for wilfully self-inflicted injury and suicide;
* further restricting entitlements for criminals;
* allowing incentives for employers and vehicles;
* requiring more open reporting of ACC liabilities;
* And the previously announced decision to extend the date ACC had to be fully funded by from 2014 to 2019.
"These changes are necessary because ACC's claim costs have risen by 57 percent and its unfunded liabilities have grown from $4 billion to $13b in just four years," Dr Smith said.

$417 is going would hurt quite a few owners

ACC levies to rise average of $315 a year
Changes to ACC are likely to cost the family on the average income of $45,000 an extra $315 a year.

ACC has today released its proposals, which include increases to levies such as motor-vehicle registration.

Motorists will have to pay around $30 a year more, from $287 to $317, though increases to registration and a rise at the pump.

Levies for the self employed will increase by 16 cents, to $1.47 per $100 earned. Levy rates for no work claims will go up by 67 cents, which is roughly a 45 percent increase.

However Minister Nick Smith says the proposed increases are too high, so he will see that the rise is at least halved.

However that will see entitlements cut in some areas. Those cuts include stopping payments in cases of self harm or suicide, and where criminal behaviour is involved

Even that is going to sting a lont of incomes

[Ixion]

the steepest levy hikes are for drivers of large motorcycles.
all motorcycles currently pay $252.69 in levies. Under the changes, while bikes under 125cc face only an increase of a few dollars, larger motorcycles will pay far heftier amounts

for example: 126-600cc: Increases from $252.69 to $511.43 (102 per cent increase).
601 plus cc: Increases from $252.69 to $745.77.
Mopeds - which currently pay just $59 in acc charges - will instead be classed with small motorcycles of 125 cc or less and pay $257.58 in license fees and petrol levies.
Dr smith said motorcyclists were 16 times more likely than car drivers to be involved in accidents yet car owners were currently subsidising their acc bills by $70 each.

. .

[sAsLEX]

these offences: (won't open in Firefox I have discovered) http://www.legislation.co.nz/act/pub...mary_resel&p=1

Works fine in mine, update?

Rugby players pay ACC levies through their club subscriptions....as do soccer, hockey, netball players etc.

Do horse riders? Casual rugby on the beach? Swimmers?

[Ixion]

Rugby players pay ACC levies through their club subscriptions....as do soccer, hockey, netball players etc.

No. they don't . And if they did ACC would have to refund it. This urban myth keeps surfacing. It si simply wrong.

The only ACC componenet of any AMATUER sport club , is the ACC levy that the club may pay as an employer.

I challenge anyone to produce an ACC receipt or levy statement showing a levy to members.

[Thunder 8]

Woo hoo. About bloody time! I have never understood how come criminals can claim ACC when they injure themselves in the course of their livelihood.

There are enough problems for people who genuinely injure themselves in legit law abiding ways without having to compete for the ACC dollar with these scum.

Dam right.

[Thunder 8]

Hey - do you know if you can still claim ACC for getting your dick stuck in the vacuum cleaner?

Bloody hell thats an image i didnt need in my head

[Patrick]

Here's a wee thought for some of you.

You're sitting on y' verandah, on a nice summer's evening, smoking a joint, as some do.

And a drunk driver careers round the corner, loses it, spins across your lawn and you end up a tetraplegic.

But. No ACC for you. Cos , after all, you were injured in the commission of a crime. Class C drug, possession of or whatever it is . Probably count if the cops found it in y' car after y' crashed , too.

Oh, and you can't sue anybody either. Welcome to the rest of your life on an invalid's benefit.

Gets dodgy , doesn't it when we start this sort of thing. Everybody's all dead keen on cracking down on criminals, until it's their own wee bit of criminality involved.

See? Drugs is bad.....

[SARGE]

the point was made earlier in this thread that it will only be lump sums and income replacement that will no longer be available to criminals, not cover for medical treatment.

Does anyone have any references to confirm or deny that?



Yeah. And y'know, sarge, there are people who think that that's not the way a country's healthcare system should work.

(including, it seems, the current president.)

just sayin'.

i agree ... But the point i was making is we never learned to run to the doctor for every little shaving cut ..


Just sayin..

[jrandom]

It's a $200 fine for having an out-of-date registration, is it not?

As the Herald article pointed out, if annual rego costs for a motorcycle go over $800, it becomes an obvious move to simply put your bike's registration on hold.

It's a pretty good bet that even riding daily, one would be ticketed for that less often than every three months.

Edit: I see this point has been well addressed in the main thread on the topic.