ACC entitlements: Treatment, compensation and other support
Medical bills
What kinds of treatment are covered by ACC?
Accident Compensation Act 2001, ss 6, 7, 73, 74, Schedule 1, clauses 1–6
Typical examples of treatment that is covered by ACC include:
- emergency treatment at hospital A&E departments
- other hospital treatment
- visits to GPs and physiotherapists
- visits to specialists, such as surgeons.
If you get emergency treatment at a hospital A&E after an accident, you don’t need to make a specific ACC claim for this. This is because emergency hospital treatment is bulk-funded by ACC.
Other treatment providers you can see under the ACC scheme include: acupuncturists, audiologists, chiropractors, counsellors, dentists, doctors, medical laboratory technologists, nurses, occupational therapists, optometrists, osteopaths, physiotherapists, podiatrists, and speech therapists.
Checklist for whether your specific treatment is covered
ACC has to pay for your treatment if the treatment is:
- given to restore your health as far as possible
- necessary, appropriate and of the required quality
- performed only as often as necessary
- given at appropriate places and times
- of a type normally provided by doctors and other treatment providers
- provided by someone who’s qualified and who normally provides it, and
- provided only after ACC has agreed to it (except for emergency treatment and some other special cases).
ACC may also have to cover some or all of the cost of other services related to the treatment (“ancillary services”), such as accommodation, transport, medicines and lab tests.
In deciding if your treatment meets these requirements, ACC takes into account:
- how serious your injury is
- the generally accepted treatment for these types of injury in New Zealand
- other treatment options available in New Zealand, and
- the costs compared with the benefits you’re likely to get from the treatment.
