Yet another reason why ACC sucks

**bungbung** · 30th November 2007, 07:54

You planned to be out of the country for 6 months, and you didn't budget for travel insurance? why on earth not?

**vifferman** · 30th November 2007, 07:59

Never mind all that moral superiority, and "why didn't you get travel insurance" stuff, WTF is this "intended" bullshit?
"Because you intended to go to Mesopotamia some time in the future, we won't cover you."
"Because you were thinking about taking up skydiving, we won't pay for the costs incurred when you fell off the ladder at work".
Puh-leeeeease.....

**Jantar** · 30th November 2007, 08:08

I had Travel insurance, same crash, similar location, and only a few days earlier than Steam. I have only received my credit card statement yesterday to make my claim with the travel insurance, but it would be of almost no use to Steam. Travel insuarnce will pay the costs of returning to New Zealand, and up to $1500 for any follow on costs after you return. They will still not meet the costs that ACC would.

ACC have accepted my claim, fortunately.

**LilSel** · 30th November 2007, 08:14

dude that sucks... once again tho... travel insurance is a must when ya go away... everytime I've been overseas (been a fair bit) I've arranged insurance... one trip to aussie my insurance was only $60!!... to Venezuela/Argentina it was $150ish... not a lot of money if something does go wrong.

guess you've learnt that for next time tho

, heal up quick!

**MacD** · 30th November 2007, 09:14

Originally Posted by vifferman

Never mind all that moral superiority, and "why didn't you get travel insurance" stuff, WTF is this "intended" bullshit?

Yep, it is the "intended" clause that appears to have caught Steam out, and I must admit I doubt many people realise it exists (I didn't), but it is stated on the ACC website.

New Zealanders travelling overseas

Who can qualify
To qualify for our help, you must be ‘ordinarily resident’ in New Zealand. Usually that means:

• You must either hold the required citizenship, permits or visas, or be the spouse or dependent of a New Zealand resident and generally accompany them
• You must have a permanent place of residence in New Zealand
• You must have intended to return to New Zealand within six months of leaving. (my italics)

On the other hand people tend to forget that ACC is a state-owned insurance company, not "the health system". It pays for injury care and rehabilitation in "the health system" just like vehicle insurance pays for you car to be repaired by a panelbeater. People complain often enough about their motorcycle ACC levies and petrol levies which fund the OnRoadCover.

If anything the issue arises because ACC extends the cover to accidents that occur overseas for short term travel. I doubt a private provider would do that at all, or at least insist that you took out travel insurance.

By the way Steam, I presume you didn't have to pay for your care while in Australia as that is covered by a reciprocal care agreement.

The real anomaly in the NZ system is that if you are off-work due to injury you are covered (to an extent) for loss of earnings by ACC, whereas if you are off work due to illness you are not (until you actually no longer employed and eligible for the sickness benefit).

**spookytooth** · 30th November 2007, 14:39

Acc is one of the biggest rip offs out there.Try being self employed and claiming .Oh you cut off your arm heres a plaster now go learn to use the other one

**jrandom** · 30th November 2007, 14:45

I must say, when I highsided and smashed my hand up recently, the standard of ACC-covered care I received was very good. Fast, high-quality service.

I won't reiterate the points already made regarding travel insurance, but private health insurance is a great thing. Southern Cross don't really get it right, but check out Sovereign's policy offerings.

On the whole, ACC doesn't cost us that much, compared to private health insurance, and the service it provides is outstanding.

New Zealand has far worse administrative fuckups that are much more in need of attention from the electorate.

**Robert Taylor** · 1st December 2007, 08:04

Originally Posted by davereid

The problem is, that having already lost 50% of my income in tax, I'm not exactly overwhelmed with the prospect of purchasing the very same services my tax was supposed to provide.

The cure is simple....

TAX FORM

Please select the services you require at the percentage tax listed :
( ) Shonky Health System 10%
( )Shonky Education System 5%
( )DPB entitlement 5%
( )Dole entitlement

Thank you.
You have selected no options and are not entitled to use the services listed.
You have a tax bill of : $ 0.00

Yes I agree, this ''Government'' especially has raised taxes and therefore also the cost of living. ( But that shonky lot always do it ) Concurrently with that they have delivered lower quality services, especially in the health system. If they are overtaxing us all so much then why has the quality of service deteriorated? If you are an employer you can basically forget about acc if an accident incapacitates you, despite the fact you have contributed more in tax.

But my other point is that many who complain for various reasons that ''the government isnt looking after them'' conveniently forget where the money actually comes from in the first place, the overburdened taxpayer.

Middle New Zealanders are being screwed in this country, by those at the top and those at the bottom who know how to best manipulate the system to their advantage. Generations of Government handouts from both sides of the political spectrum have engendered a dependent mentality.

If you could have an apolitical leader with some of the qualities of Lee Kuan Yew ( spelling? ) and no elections for 10 years or so it would go a long way to fixing this country. A decent society where everyone has equal opportunity and contributes equally.

The current electoral system and the dependent mentality means that we would never have such a government.

**Ocean1** · 1st December 2007, 09:04

Originally Posted by davereid

Please select the services you require at the percentage tax listed :
( ) Shonky Health System 10%
( )Shonky Education System 5%
( )DPB entitlement 5%
( )Dole entitlement

Thank you.
You have selected no options and are not entitled to use the services listed.
You have a tax bill of : $ 0.00

... and the overall income from those choosing otherwise now allows:

(*) Shonky Health System 3%
(*)Shonky Education System 2%
(*)DPB entitlement 1%
(*)Dole entitlement 5%

Originally Posted by Robert Taylor

If you could have an apolitical leader with some of the qualities of Lee Kuan Yew ( spelling? ) and no elections for 10 years or so it would go a long way to fixing this country. A decent society where everyone has equal opportunity and contributes equally.

The current electoral system and the dependent mentality means that we would never have such a government.

Almost all of the most impressive advances in living standards in history have occured under actual or virtual dictatorships. And some of the worst reverses.

Minor grumpiness in China at the moment, tax changes a couple of years ago and subsequent inflation resulted in the effective lower threshold for tax changing. A mere 3 years ago only incomes in the top 10% odd paid tax, (at all), that figure is now slightly below the mean income. The tax itself is not high though, even for those on high incomes.

Political security of tenure with minimal interferance is a prerequisite for fundimental change, good or bad. The three georges project was built entirely without the help of a resource consent system. So was the single child family. Both were arguably good ideas in their day, both will cause problems for the future.