John MacDonald: The ACC change that is long overdue

I reckon we should have signs up at our international airports saying: “Welcome to the people’s republic of pushovers”.

Because of our crazy ACC system which, a lot of the time, makes those of us living here fight tooth and nail but tells anyone coming here for a visit that they can tie themselves to bungy ropes, jump on skis, do whatever they want - and we’ll pay for their treatment.

It seems even crazier when we’ve got ACC announcing today that it’s got a plan to become more financially sustainable, after that big loss last year and a projected $26 billion deficit in four years’ time.

ACC says it’s going to focus on getting people back to work quicker after an injury. But I think it also needs to think about who it covers, starting with people from overseas. Because we are too much  of a pushover. 

Not that it’s ACC in isolation that’s the problem. The reason we provide ACC to visitors from other countries is that we don’t have the right to sue here in New Zealand. That’s why visitors are covered.

So, let’s say someone comes here and goes skiing and has an accident and ends up getting helicoptered to hospital. They can’t sue the ski field operator or the clown who was gunning it down the mountain and lost control and ploughed into them. So ACC covers the cost of their treatment and care.

But I think this needs to stop. 

Some people will probably argue that, if we make tourists pay for their own treatment if they injure themselves, then they won’t come here. But that’s nonsense.

There are two approaches we could take. We could either charge non-residents at the door when they need treatment. Or we make it mandatory for anyone visiting New Zealand to have travel insurance. Because it isn’t at the moment.

It needs to be. Because it’s time to turn-off the ACC tap for people visiting from other countries

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald
from News Talk ZB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
You know, I reckon, I reckon. We should have signs
up at our international airports saying welcome to the People's
Republic of pushovers. Welcome to the People's Republic of pushovers.
Why is that you reckon? Well, because of our crazy
ACC system, which a lot of the time makes those
of us living here fight tooth and nail to get

(00:33):
cover or to get a payout, or to get treatment
or whatever, but at the same time tells anyone coming
here for a visit that they can, you know, they
can tie themselves to bungee ropes, they can jump on skis,
they can climb mountains, do whatever the hell they want,
and we'll pay for your treatment. It's a system that

(00:55):
seems even crazier when we've got ACC announcing today that
it's got a plan to become more financially sustainable after
the huge loss last year, but also after that projection
that it was on track for a twenty six billion
dollar deficit in just four years time. So what ACC
is saying, say what we're going to focus on. We're
going to focus on getting people back to work quicker

(01:18):
after an injury. But I think it also needs to
think about who it covers, starting with people from overseas,
because we are way too much of a pushover. I mean,
not that it's acc in isolation, that's the problem. The
reason we provide ACC to visitors from other countries is
that we don't have the right to sue here in

(01:40):
New Zealand. That's why visitors get ACC cover. There are
ways around it, though, So let's say someone comes here
and goes skiing and has an accident and ends up
getting helicopter to hospital. They can't sue the skifield operator,
and they can't sue the clown who was running it
down the mountain and lost control and plowed into them.
So because they can't sue, ACC covers the cost of

(02:03):
their treatment and the care and the helicopter, the whole bang.
But I think it needs to stop, especially when you
consider that there are only two countries that do the
same for US, Australia and the UK. And you know,
some people will probably argue, you know, if we make
tourists pay for their own treatment, if they injure themselves,

(02:25):
oh they might not come here. What a load of
old nonsense, because you and I we don't stop going
overseas to countries, do we, because they might not look
after us if we get into strife. And I reckon
when you need to back ourselves and make visitors pay
their way. Now I said that, you know, I alluded

(02:46):
to the complications with our legal system and the fact
we can't sue. But there are two approaches that I
think we could take. I want to run them past you.
We could either charge non residents at the door when
they need treatment so they break a leg. Let's say
so here in Canterbury, they break a leg doing the
backs finansular track, head to the emergency department at the

(03:09):
hospital and once they've got the plaster on and all sworded,
they get the credit card out. That's one way of
doing it. Or we make it mandatory for anyone visiting
New Zealand to have travel insurance because at the moment
it isn't. Now if you've been overseas yourself, I bet
you haven't gone without travel insurance because we kind of expect,

(03:31):
or assume, don't we, that if we need medical care
while we're away, it's not going to be on the
house unless it's Australia or the UK that we're visiting.
Even then we probably still get insurance and that's the
expectation we need to have of people coming here from
other countries. Plain and simple in my book.

Speaker 1 (03:48):
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