ACC bollocks

[mashman]

Maybe this guy will pray for her

[Mom]

What an absolute disgrace! Since when should anyone have to put up with this sort of crap. This is clearly a treatment injury. Fuck the lot of them. I get so angry about this sort of penny pinching! It may not be able to be repaired, we don't have the talent in NZ at the moment, she needs to go overseas.

This surgical mesh was touted to be the salvation for anyone with a pelvic prolapse, easy to install and instant fix. So women complained about prolapse, they got treated. Then they complained about pain, they were then written off as complainers. They had been fixed up after all. Wankers the lot of them.

[Winston001]

If ACC won't fund it then what recourse does she have, sue the hospital that performed the operations?? Nope probably can't, as that's what ACC is for right...
And as for the quote "if they said yes, it will cost the country thousands of dollars because it will open the door to other people".

Well so what? What is ACC for if not that?

Poor woman, what an awful situation. I can't imagine what it was like for her to be raped at 53 and to then suffer medical misadventure on top of that...tragic.

The problem for ACC is that noone in NZ can do the procedure. I've never heard of ACC sending patients overseas for surgery. That's probably too much to expect from a broad rehabilitation organisation.

Bear in mind that our public health system doesn't send patients to America for operations either.

There are limits to medicine. There is no bottomless bank account. Sometimes, hard as it is to come to terms with, we have to accept a remedy is not possible.

[Edbear]

What an absolute disgrace! Since when should anyone have to put up with this sort of crap. This is clearly a treatment injury. Fuck the lot of them. I get so angry about this sort of penny pinching! It may not be able to be repaired, we don't have the talent in NZ at the moment, she needs to go overseas.

This surgical mesh was touted to be the salvation for anyone with a pelvic prolapse, easy to install and instant fix. So women complained about prolapse, they got treated. Then they complained about pain, they were then written off as complainers. They had been fixed up after all. Wankers the lot of them.

Now don't hold back love, tell us what you really think. ..

[jasonu]

Sometimes, hard as it is to come to terms with, we have to accept a remedy is not possible.

A remedy is possible, the problem is no one wants to pay for it.

[badlieutenant]

How much did it cost to prosecute and jail the person responsible for the rape ?
There are limits to the spending on this sort of thing I spose. Kind of like the hard decisions pharmac has to make for drug purchases.
ACC making the comment that if they did get the surgery performed then it would open the flood gates to more people requesting the surgery. But she was the only one that had this surgery?. So im guessing there are other people with complications from smaller mesh implants. If there is enough people for the "flood gates to open" wouldn't it be possible to get either a qualified someone on a list over here to perform the surgery or get someone trained to do it ?.
Just really sad :/ I did donate in the end. And will again if I can. Dollar for Dollar my fred hollows donation probably has more impact for more people but meh. I hope she gets her funding and gets to live long enough that rape wasnt what defined her life
Funding has reached 32,000. http://www.givealittle.co.nz/cause/jacqui

[Ocean1]

Notwithstanding the inevitable shock/horror reporting inaccuracies I'd say her case manager will already understand that his career is toast. Her case will likely fall under a "special considerations" provision, and I'd be surprised if she doesn't get the funding from some one or another such sources.

As it happens I've recently been having my ear bent by an Aussie specialist, according to him NZ's ACC system is considered the gold standard by which all other national accident funding systems are measured. I'd heard that from quite a few off-shore industry insiders over the years, but apparently it's as true now as it once was.

[Winston001]

A remedy is possible, the problem is no one wants to pay for it.

We need to be honest. The only reason the Herald published this story is because ACC is a sensitive trigger point for readers.

This lady can be treated by public health hospitals but you'll see there is no mention of that because blaming ACC is a much easier story.

However its a rare condition so public hospitals don't have the expert surgeons. Honestly, what do you expect medical managers to do? Experiment? Give it a shot?

As for ACC being cold hearted, what about the Los Angeles surgeon? Why can't he operate and recover the cost from the manufactures of the pelvic net? Apparently they are liable so that shouldn't be a problem. Or he could do it for free. Pretend she is one of the 40 million who have no health insurance - if she was in the USA there might be no operation for her anyway.

NZ is not nirvana but we are better off than most of the world. Worth remembering.

[Paul in NZ]

NZ is not nirvana but we are better off than most of the world. Worth remembering.

Very true and also worth remembering is that ACC has a large surplus.

If someone is the victim of a crime then I believe that they should recieve all possible assistance.

[sgtp]

.....and kiwi's wonder why 'mericans get all pissy when the govt wants to run their healthcare

[Paul in NZ]

.....and kiwi's wonder why 'mericans get all pissy when the govt wants to run their healthcare

Erm - well its not that simple. In the USA she would be able to sue someone for remedy which would probably be her only option. It that company went bust however that could easily be no remedy at all.

[jasonu]

We need to be honest. The only reason the Herald published this story is because ACC is a sensitive trigger point for readers.

This lady can be treated by public health hospitals but you'll see there is no mention of that because blaming ACC is a much easier story.
Are you sure about this. The story says otherwise

However its a rare condition so public hospitals don't have the expert surgeons. Honestly, what do you expect medical managers to do? Experiment? Give it a shot?
Your previous statement says she can be treated in NZ, now you say we don't have the properly trained staff so which is it? Give it a shot, of course not.
As for ACC being cold hearted, what about the Los Angeles surgeon? Why can't he operate and recover the cost from the manufactures of the pelvic net? Apparently they are liable so that shouldn't be a problem. Or he could do it for free. Pretend she is one of the 40 million who have no health insurance - if she was in the USA there might be no operation for her anyway.
It is not the surgeons decision. The hospital he works in would make that decision. Really though why should a foreign hospital do it for free?

NZ is not nirvana but we are better off than most of the world. Worth remembering.

Maybe not nirvana but one might expect the system that one has paid taxes and fees into for many years in the belief/expectation that if/when something does go wrong one might be properly looked after.
I am actually in NZ right now for family medical issues and the more I delve into the NZ system the more cracks and holes I find and that is backed up by several medical professionals I have receintly dealt with. The yank system is far from perfect but as long as you have insurance it does a fair job.

[Ocean1]

The yank system is far from perfect but as long as you have insurance it does a fair job.

I hear that healthcare in general in the US costs over twice what NZ's does and provides just 40% of the service value.

Such numerical comparisons are usually flawed by the differences in services supplied, but those are from a recent American survey and every American doctor I've ever met in NZ, (and there's a few) has compared our funding model favourably.

There's always going to be those that fall through the cracks, some that probably should be funded, some that simply fall outside the cover's intent. And no matter how you spin it we can't afford to supply everything for everyone.

[badlieutenant]

I hear that healthcare in general in the US costs over twice what NZ's does and provides just 40% of the service value.

Such numerical comparisons are usually flawed by the differences in services supplied, but those are from a recent American survey and every American doctor I've ever met in NZ, (and there's a few) has compared our funding model favourably.

There's always going to be those that fall through the cracks, some that probably should be funded, some that simply fall outside the cover's intent. And no matter how you spin it we can't afford to supply everything for everyone.

Its easy to bitch about ACC, Im not a fan but the thought of private insurance like in the US gives me the shits. Everyone thinks the grass is greener on the other side but look a little closer.
By the sounds of it Ocean you would be able to confirm something I read a while ago.
For private insurers to have a competitive market in nz, that was worthwhile for their investment, and they were competing with ACC for market share (a system where you might op out of ACC cover and go private) ACC would have to increase their levies so that they didn't undercut the prices private insurers would need to charge.
ACC shouldn't be making a huge profit, that Im assuming gets feed into the govt coffers and makes which ever political party look good on the books. I have no idea if this is what happens. It would be nice to think it goes towards new hospital equipment or some such thing
As an example someone I know in the states was involved in a car crash. Not her fault. Rear ended along with about 3 or 4 other cars. The person responsible for the accident ran out of insurance, lost all of their assets and then my friend had to find 7000$ U.S for the hospital stay and helicopter flights.
As shit as ACC is its not as bad as it can get, at least in my opinion (and yes Im a builder, and I have been F*&%^$d over by ACC)

[Winston001]

For private insurers to have a competitive market in nz, that was worthwhile for their investment, and they were competing with ACC for market share (a system where you might op out of ACC cover and go private) ACC would have to increase their levies so that they didn't undercut the prices private insurers would need to charge.

Correct but the competition idea hasn't been mentioned for 18 months. Looks like its died which is good.

ACC shouldn't be making a huge profit, that Im assuming gets feed into the govt coffers and makes which ever political party look good on the books. I have no idea if this is what happens. It would be nice to think it goes towards new hospital equipment or some such thing

Actually it should - that is how insurance schemes survive. If they don't build up a big enough reserve they go under as we saw with AMI in Christchurch.

But anyway, ACC does not pay a dividend to the government. What they do is invest levies with the intention of building up a sufficent capital sum that all current claims can be paid into the future. ACC has built up a fund of $16 billion and aims to be fully funded by 2019. They are surprisingly good investment managers.

What I don't like is the current drop in levies which looks like a lolly for next years election.