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ACC staff rewarded for cutting off clients - MP

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Cut ACC claims, get bonuses

3News NZ

ACC Minister Judith Collins and Green MP Kevin Hague

ACC Minister Judith Collins and Green MP Kevin Hague

By NZN / 3 News online staff

ACC Minister Judith Collins has confirmed that ACC staff are paid to get people off compensation, says Green Party MP Kevin Hague.

Mr Hague made the claim earlier today, saying he had documents that show staff working with people receiving long-term claim payments have specific targets to achieve.

"Those same workers' remuneration is tied to achieving these targets," he said on Thursday.

"It's completely unacceptable that one of the performance mechanisms for ACC staff is how many claimants are cut off from receiving entitlements."

Mr Hague later tweeted that Ms Collins had confirmed that staff are "financially incentivised to 'exit' long term injured people from compensation".

Ms Collins told Parliament that it made up only 15 percent of a case manager's performance measurement. She also said it was a "good thing" that case managers were incentivised to get clients back into work.

Mr Hague says staff who fail to meet their targets can have their pay cut.

"Incentivising the withdrawal of financial support for claimants will inevitably lead to this occurring before it is clinically appropriate in some cases," he said.

"This sort of scheme is symptomatic of a sick culture within ACC."

Mr Hague got the documents under the Official Information Act.

NZN / 3 News

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Comments

23/08/2012 7:38:03 p.m.

Paul Shann wrote:

Not only was an ACC Case manager paid to chop off my entitlements. When i took the issue to court, that same person no doubt got paid a bonus to remove 22 medical reports from my files. Since then 5 of my reports have been "sold to me' by a peson inside ACC. recently evidence of 5 more hidden reports have been sold to me. Privacy commission refuse to investigate, because i can not name my source. ACC has been told to investigate(for a 3rd time) by a Reviewer, but the person set by ACC to investigate, is probably the only person who knows exactly what evidence has been withheld previously, so therefore is probably the person inside ACC who has been selling me my files.

25/06/2012 3:36:45 p.m.

jason wrote:

Kiwis must now realize that National seem to follow a style of Right Wing Marxis form, ACC have had a Marxis style for years, and not a Humanterian view. I have personally been victimized by ACC and the Police,and this has exabated my poor health. I do not wish for any Kiwi to go through this torment.

23/06/2012 8:40:23 a.m.

LANCE SNOWDEN wrote:

Hi Mr Hague

I am one of the long term claimants on ACC. you are so right on how case managers are scum bages they will lie strat to your face as well as write comments on your file and remove things off of a file when it looks bad for them. Mr Hague I would like to see you to show you the way I have been treated as my privacy has been breached time and time again. have a look at how a claiment has to sign a ACC 167 form which gives away your privacy and ACC will go into your bank records to look at your visa to see what and where you have been. Look at the doctors that ACC shops for and how these Dr's are flowin around the NZ to kick claimant off. PLEASE KEEP ON LOOKING AS WE NEED YOUR HELP

Lance

22/06/2012 6:13:21 p.m.

Greg wrote:

It happened to me in 2003. If its an illegal policy breech even while acting under orders, will there be compensation for those so mistreated pun intended. Lucky they have 3 billion spare to fund compensation claims for said breaches.

21/06/2012 10:59:51 p.m.

jt wrote:

Judith Collins is standing by ACC Case Managers who routinely BULLY, lie, and deceive claimants, for the selfish reason of getting a BONUS in their own pockets. Disgraceful, and utterly unethical. There is no concept of service or trust anymore. Judith Collins has to go.

21/06/2012 8:13:32 p.m.

dave wrote:

John Key puts on his sad face and everybody starts feeling sorry for the national party... We must remember that national people only work for money, love has nothing to do with their way of life... Except for love of oneself that is..

21/06/2012 5:54:08 p.m.

Mary G wrote:

As a professional corporate worker I became a long term claimant after an accident, followed by medical misadventure 5 years ago.
I am one of the many who have recently been put on the chopping block.

Not assisted into employment however, but referred to WINZ which I understand is the more common event for those of us who are unable to resume fulltime employment. We then become a WINZ problem.
Being on ACC has been humiliating and shameful. Being a WINZ beneficiary I thought would be worse, but I have found more understanding and support in the WINZ office than I ever experienced in my dealings with ACC.
I had always worked part time hours doing whatever I could but was unable to extend these without causing myself further harm, always ending up needing to stop, recover, and then start again.

Be honest Judith, It's not about getting people into work,keeping their dignity intact, tika, pono, aroha. It is all about getting them off the financial books so ACC can make a profit!
If govt don't really want to show integrity,and caring about injured people, stop being fraudulant and pretending, be upfront, shut down ACC and open the right for people to sue for medical misadventure, business negligence etc. etc.

21/06/2012 4:11:09 p.m.

liza wrote:

Yes Mike B, minus the political stuff, you are dead right. GENUINE CASES need not be concerned. We can not indefinitely give people a salary for free if they are able to work and it is in their interest to get back to 'normal' as soon as possible. ACC is a terrific system that we are lucky to have and unfortunately the politics and mis-management at a higher level have muddied the issues in the media about what citizens are angry over. Don't miss the point NZ: run properly, this is a great and unique scheme, and when it is running properly the targeted long term claimants simply won't exist as they will be managed back to independence more efficiently right from the start. Those that require long term care and compensation will be able to receive it with the full attention of a case manager providing the best rehabilitation our country can offer. Get rid of middle management - let experienced rehabilitation experts run the floor for a while and you will see what the system was designed for.

21/06/2012 4:01:42 p.m.

David wrote:

@Jer... have you thought about a career in hollywood??? lol drama queen. This ACC debacle is Nationals fault... there is absolutely no getting away from that. Boag, Fuller, Smith, Collins.... these are names only associated with one party. And morally... yes they are the most bankrupt party in New Zealand. "We're building a brighter future" by looking after our mates. Thats what Nationals election slogan was wasnt it?.

21/06/2012 3:39:14 p.m.

Ruz wrote:

Yes the nasty ACC culture was in place well before National. While those on ACC should not be on it if they can work, there have been many cases where the nastiness of ACC has shown through to the extent that people who clearly should be on it have been denied legitimate support. You just has to ask John Millar the well known Wellington ACC lawyer who has won many cases for clients, often on a pro bono basis.