How you can get help visiting after our an country injury Getting help if you re injured
How visitors to New Zealand can get help after an injury If you re injured during your visit to our country, you may have questions about what s going to happen, who you can turn to and how you ll pay for your care. Fortunately, New Zealand has an organisation that can help you, called ACC, the Accident Compensation Corporation. This brochure explains how it works and what you need to do to apply for it. for more information making a claim and entitlements 0800 101 996 Mon-Fri from 8.30am to 5pm acc information online www.acc.co.nz We have interpreters who understand over 30 different languages.
ACC can help if you re injured ACC is like an insurance policy which automatically covers everyone, including visitors, who s injured in an accident while they re in New Zealand. ACC is also the name of the organisation that provides that cover. We can provide treatment and other support if you re injured in an accident. It doesn t matter where it happened, what you were doing or who was at fault. ACC support is available to all visitors who are: Injured while in New Zealand In certain circumstances suffering a health problem related to working here Dealing with the mental effects of a sexual assault or abuse in New Zealand Injured from medical treatment in this country. ACC cover applies virtually no matter when or where in New Zealand the injury happened: No matter where you were or what you were doing at the time sightseeing, driving, hiking, or just making a cup of tea in your hotel room Whether it was something you did or someone else s action that contributed to your injury No matter how old you are eg. if you re retired or a student Wherever in New Zealand it happened.
Support to get things back on track The help you get from ACC depends on your injury and your situation. It may cover: Treatment. Most of the costs associated with treating your injury will be covered by ACC, including ambulance services and a good part of the cost of your doctor, physio, hospital treatment, surgery, X-rays and prescriptions Transport. We may be able to help with the costs of travel to assessments, treatment or rehabilitation, including a petrol allowance, public transport or taxis Getting things back on track. ACC s services include rehabilitation and extra aids and assistance to help get things back on track as quickly as possible Finances. If you have been working and paying tax in New Zealand, you may qualify for lost earnings compensation of up to 80% of your average weekly income, starting a week after you were injured. You or your employer will need to cover the first week. There are many more ways ACC may be able to help. For more information call us free on 0800 101 996.
What s not covered Illness is not covered. ACC covers injuries, work-related health problems, the mental effects of a sexual assault or abuse, and people injured from medical treatment. The injury has to have happened in New Zealand. You re not covered if you re injured travelling to New Zealand aboard a boat or plane or getting on or off it. ACC only covers treatment and rehabilitation costs while you re in New Zealand. It s not travel insurance ACC isn t a replacement for travel insurance. It doesn t cover things like disrupted travel plans and lost deposits, assisted or emergency travel home or travel for a relative. Also, ACC doesn t cover illness. These are all things good travel insurance will cover, and we recommend it for anyone visiting New Zealand.
How to get help from ACC The doctor, physio, dentist, hospital or other health professional providing your treatment will help you to make a claim to ACC. You usually pay part of the fee for most types of medical care. However, if the doctor or health professional thinks you may qualify for ACC and fills out a claim form, the amount you pay is usually only a part of their normal fee and ACC pays the rest. When we ve got your claim form, we will contact you or your representative by phone or letter to let you know if your claim has been accepted. You ll need to tell us the best way of getting in touch with you. If your claim is accepted and if you need ongoing or followup medical care, ACC will work with you to make sure you get the support and medical care you need while you remain in New Zealand. That can include help with the costs of physio, chiropractic and osteopathy, dentistry, surgery and many other treatments. Some of these treatments require our prior approval.
More about us New Zealand established ACC in the 1970s. At that time there was growing concern that people had to go to the expense of suing for compensation after an accident. There was no certainty or consistency as to how much, if anything, they would receive. ACC operates on the principle that it doesn t matter to us who is at fault for an injury or who is to blame. Injuries from accidents are ultimately a cost to the whole community and everyone should expect the same level of support. With ACC, no-one has to bear the full costs of their treatment, or sue someone else to try to recover the money. In fact, generally you cannot sue after an accident in New Zealand. In most cases, ACC replaces that right. ACC also runs a wide-ranging injury prevention campaign, and rehabilitates people so they can get back on track. You probably won t have anything like ACC in your home country. New Zealand is the only country in the world where people are automatically protected with such comprehensive, 24-hour, no-fault personal injury cover.
The Code of ACC Claimants Rights The Code of ACC Claimants Rights helps guide how ACC works with people making claims. It sets out what you can expect in your dealings with us and specifies your right to: Be treated with dignity and respect Be treated fairly and have your views considered Have your culture, values and beliefs respected A support person or group Effective communication Be fully informed Have your privacy respected Make a complaint. If you re unhappy with something we do or a decision we make, you can talk to the person concerned or their manager, or make a complaint directly to the Customer Support Service. Ask us if you would like a copy of the Code. It s also available at www.acc.co.nz/acc-publications in Māori, Cantonese, Cook Island Maori, Mandarin, Niuean, Samoan and Tongan. ACC592 October 2006