Costs covered by ACC: Treatment, compensation and other support
Overview
If your injury is covered by ACC, then you’re entitled to medical treatment; compensation for loss of wages or salary; rehabilitation to help you regain your independence at work and outside work; and other assistance. The ACC scheme calls these your “entitlements”.
Accident Compensation Act 2001, s 69
The main ACC entitlements are:
- treatment and rehabilitation – both vocational rehabilitation and social rehabilitation)
- weekly compensation for lost wages or salary
- lump-sum compensation for permanent disabilities (“impairment”)
- support for family members after a fatal injury.
When ACC can refuse you an entitlement
Accident Compensation Act 2001, ss 117–122
ACC can refuse you entitlements in certain cases, including for as long as you unreasonably refuse or fail to:
- meet a requirement under the ACC laws to do with your claim (like having an assessment)
- have medical or surgical treatment for your injury, or
- agree to or follow an individual rehabilitation plan (see “How your rehabilitation plan is decided”).
You can also be refused an entitlement if you:
- deliberately injured yourself, or
- were injured committing a crime that carries a maximum jail term of two years or more (even if you’re sentenced to less than two years or to home detention), or
- are in prison, or
- have claimed compensation (“damages”) for your injury through the courts in certain situations.
After you start receiving ACC entitlements, ACC can suspend or cancel an entitlement if they’re not satisfied, on the basis of the information they have, that you’re entitled to go on receiving it. If they intend to do this, ACC have to give you advance notice in writing a reasonable amount of time before they suspend or cancel the entitlement.
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