ACC is doing my head in!

[Mom]

I don't mind sports injuries getting covered so long as people playing organised sport with high risk of injury pay levies. Someone said rugby club fees contain an ACC component. I'm not sure if this is true though...

Well see this is where my thinking is on this. I work part time on wages. I pay an ACC levy as part of my PAYE, this levy goes into a fund to cover me should I injure myself in a recreational situation. I also have a small business and pay an ACC levy on any profit that business makes which is treated as income to me This also goes to cover any recreational injury I suffer. The business also pays an ACC levy on the amount of wages paid out, that is to cover any work place accident. I own a couple of vehicles (a car and a van) I pay ACC levy on the registration for both these vehicles and some also when I purchase fuel for them. This for if I make a motorvehicle claim. I also have a motorcycle. I am not currently paying any ACC levy for that as the rego is on hold.

I pay a shed load of levy and I will get cover when I am entitled to it, they have no right to leave a claim sitting on a desk unactioned, particularly when the person claiming is not able to retrun to work and is not getting paid, just bcause the injury is classed as a treatment injury. I am entitled to at least an acknowledgement of my claim and to have my care paid for, and my earnings compensated in a timely manner. That is my beef.

[steve_t]

Agree with you wholeheartedly, Mom

[Mom]

This is the bit they will get you on. If there is any reference , in the really really fine print on the information leaflet, to "may cause blah blah" then they will claim that it is an 'ordinary consequence'. Albeit a rare one.

Some drugs are known to cause such allergic reactions. In that case they will deem the reaction an 'ordinary consequence'. Not saying that's right, just that's how they will try to shaft you.

Yeah I hear you but what actually happened to me was a step removed from a known adverse reaction. I developed something that goes by the name of Erythema Multiforme referred to sometimes as Steven Johnson Syndrome. I did not have any infection that riggered the episode hence the SJS rider on what I had. Whatever, I was one hell sick puppy and will take a long time to recover.

[Usarka]

Be careful with the using the complaints process, you can end up on your case managers "shit list".

[Mom]

Be careful with the using the complaints process, you can end up on your case managers "shit list".

I dont have a case manager, I dont have an anything. I hear you too, and thanks for the heads up.

[Ixion]

Erythema Multiforme

Uh Erythema Multiforme translates literally as 'shit loads of different sorts of big red spots'

[Mom]

Uh Erythema Multiforme translates literally as 'shit loads of different sorts of big red spots'

Yepper, they were different for sure, and there were lots of them...

I particularly liked the ones on the palms of my hands, mind you I got a bit freaked out when the soles of my feet were involved as well

[inlinefour]

On the verge of another protest campaign kick off I am battling ACC for cover! Apparently my claim is complicated!

Complicated my Bum!

Either my doctor knowingly prescribed pills that she knew would almost kill me or I took a new perscription knowing that it would almost kill me or I did it to get a BIT of attention for myself, or...

IT WAS A FUCKEN ACCIDENT!

No complications as far as I can see!

They used to call my sort of claim "medical misadventure", now it is called "treatment injury", whatever, ACC have not even responded to a claim that was received by them April 1st (no jokes thanks). I had to ring them today to see if they had received my claim as neither my employer nor me had heard anything from ACC. When I "officially" complained this afternoon as I was not entirely certain that anything was going to happen the call taker had to admit it was not acceptable to not hear anything for that long.

I am amped and pissed off. The young fuck at the call centre I spoke to this morning suggested I contact WINZ to get an invalids benefit as these claims can "take ages" to resolve!

SO, not only am I a pissed off biker, I am a pissed off worker that pays ACC levy via my PAYE who nearly carked it as a result of taking a prescribed medication, who is now battling the cunse for compensation. Actually I would be happy if they would simply cover the cost of 2 trips to hospital in the ambulance and the 24/7 A&E charges I had to pay.

Keep you posted.

EDIT: I did manage a couple of hours of work today, but am far, far from fit for a full return and still have some quite serious ongoing health issues as a result of my auto immune reaction to the allergic reaction I originally suffered. I am actualy a bit worried I wont make a full recovery, and these wankers have me on the ohhhhhhhhhh we will get to that claim in the next few days 2 weeks after the hospital lodged it on my behalf!

Nah, you fit in with your employer. Who pays for the first week and then ACC take it from there, until your back at work. If your on a benefit, I wouldn't know and I don't like your chances. Other than the invalids benefit, that was originally stated.

I know you wouldn't have taken the med on purpose. Although I can't see a motorcycle rally helping much, but your welcome to try. ACC don't get involved if your in hospital, are given the meds and have an adverse reaction to them. If I had yours though, then I wouldn't be around today.

Sorry to hear whats going on with you. I know how much a disability bites, especially when your used to doing everything yourself.

[Robert Taylor]

That may be as it may be (it was a foreign concept to me too when I arrived here 15 years ago), but still doesn't answer my question. How does privatising ACC now address the issues, and how do you do it without completely screwing over people like me? Answer: It doesn't, all it does is hand over more of our cash to insurance companies.

BTW, I assume you include motorcycling as a discretionary activity? If so, do you have private accident insurance to cover injuries you might sustain while riding?

Yes in fact I do, and what I expend on that I delete off what would otherwise be spent on discretional items. And Im not wealthy by any means, everything Ive got Ive worked bloody hard for.

We have a lot of motorcyclists complaining about the hike in acc levies and I have to agree with a lot of what they are saying. But if anything over the years employers have had a lot more rieason to complain.

[rainman]

Yes in fact I do

Given you are already covered by ACC, and pay levies (premiums) for that, isn't it economically irrational to double insure yourself?

[Robert Taylor]

Given you are already covered by ACC, and pay levies (premiums) for that, isn't it economically irrational to double insure yourself?

Given the experience that some have opined about with ACC clearly not.

[rainman]

Given the experience that some have opined about with ACC clearly not.

Fair enough.

[Swoop]

where rugby is concerned, that levy nowhere near covers the injury costs. FFS rugby costs only slightly less than m/c accidents, but we don't see their levies at levels like ours.

Unfortunately...

I remember seeing the health clinic queue on a monday morning. All those fit thugbyists' who "strangely" injure themselves within the first few hours at work on a Monday morning.
They really should put it down as a thugby injury and stop parasiting off of the employer.

[MSTRS:Me]

Unfortunately...

I remember seeing the health clinic queue on a monday morning. All those fit thugbyists' who "strangely" injure themselves within the first few hours at work on a Monday morning.
They really should put it down as a thugby injury and stop parasiting off of the employer.

$50M spent on rugby injuries. Just one sport code.
$62M spent on m/c injuries. And that will include a high proportion of non-levy paying offroaders (cos m/c injury is what was put on the form).

[steve_t]

Yes in fact I do.....

Mr Taylor, did you receive from ACC the other month a letter advising you that you can select a level of cover by option of different levies? A colleague of mine received one but I don't seem to have had one. I suggested she choose the lowest levy she can since her Income Protection insurance will cover anything that ACC doesn't cover. I thought I'd check and see if that's the right advice