ACC and workplace claims. Here are the facts:
From 1 April 2020 Experience Rating will change.
You will now be able to get the maximum penalty (75%) and the maximum discount (50%)
ACC has removed the industry modifier from the calculation
This means there will be a much greater focus on Days Off in calculating your penalties
ACC decided not to introduce the fatality modifier (death penalty)
The 3 year cycle remains but the impact of older claims (year 2 and 3) will be reduced (ACC is introducing a weighting system)
For the majority of our clients paying $10k+ in levies their Experience Rating will sit between 10% discount and 35% penalty.
1 in 3 workplace claims should not sit under your business because either the incident didn’t happen at work or it was a pre-existing condition.
Claims Management - Third Party
We manage your work (and non-work) claims. It is not good enough for your business to leave it to ACC because, well, they don’t actually know your business and your needs.
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The cost to you the employer in not managing claims is substantial. The larger employers know this, so they self-insure and manage their own claims. This is something most NZ businesses cannot do but you can by tapping into the same framework that we use.
That is what we do – proactively manage your claims, manage the process, manage ACC, the medical certificates, etc. As part of this we challenge claims that are not legitimate workplace claims or where ACC has not done their job properly.
Why manage injuries?
Managing injuries not only minimises down time and prevents the need for replacement staff, your business also avoids getting penalised for every day an employee has off on ACC compensation. Simply put, you pay penalties on your ACC levies and these can be as high as 75% and soon to be 100%.
Claims Toolkit
We have created the first (and only) online subscription-based toolkit in NZ for managing workplace injuries when they happen - and it’s free! The online ManageCLAIMS toolkit gives you tips, templates, guidance, support that you need to manage the claim, manage the employee, manage ACC and ultimately manage your risk.
The ManageCLAIMS toolkit gives you the tools, forms and tips on how you can by-pass the Doctor and speed up the ACC process by over 40%. Imagine avoiding the medical certificate altogether... or at worst having one that doesn't state “fully unfit for work”. Our toolkit gives you a very useful way of managing this process.
We focus on 5 key areas namely:
Prior to an injury happening
At the time of injury
Communication
Pay
Return-to-Work
We keep the system up-to-date and compliant and provide email support when you need it. All of this for... free!
ACC Advocacy
We have extensive experience in solving client issues whether they are challenging levy codes, claims, or one-off issues such as Official Information Act challenges. We are a registered ACC vendor and can submit and represent on your behalf at a review which may mean no cost to you. We have a very good success rate because we explain ACC's decision making process in plain English to you and we only recommend a review to an employer if we believe there is a chance of success. We do not like to waste your time or money so we will be straight up with you.
Why challenge ACC?
ACC like any business doesn't always get it right however this doesn't mean that ACC will put up its hand and admit it. Our observation is that when ACC does get it wrong it results in you paying more in your levies so the financial impact is real.
We have the expertise to be able to guide you as to what should happen and advise what the chance of a successful outcome is.
Click on each of the events below for previous advocacy work undertaken.
Case study:
There’s a lot of confusion about whether an accident involving a motor vehicle should be work related or not. It all depends when and where the vehicle was being operated (vehicles include motor bikes).
A work related injury is while he or she is travelling to or from his or her place of employment at the start or finish of his or her day’s work, if he or she is an employee and if the transport—
is provided by the employer; and is
provided for the purpose of transporting employees; and
is driven by the employer or, at the direction of the employer, by another employee of the employer or of a related or associated employer; or
while he or she is travelling, by the most direct practicable route, between his or her place of employment and another place for the purposes of getting treatment for a work-related personal injury, if the treatment is necessary for the injury
A motor vehicle accident is while he or she is at any place for the purposes of his or her employment, including, for example, a place that itself moves or a place to or through which the claimant moves; or while he or she is having a break from work for a meal or rest or refreshment at his or her place of employment
Case study: Motor vehicle
In 2018, a young man came off his motorbike and required time off work and medical fees to be paid. The young man claimed this as a workplace accident, so the cost of the accident was attributed to the employer which affected their Experience Rating (ER). The employer advised this accident happened outside of work hours. Manage Group contested the claim attribution with ACC, and consequently the cost of the claim was reclassified as a motor vehicle injury, saving the employer around $1800 in ER penalties.
Call to action: Check each claim as you are notified of it. If in doubt, check with us to see whether the claim should be removed from you as an employer. Remember, you cannot contest the claim itself, only where it is attributed to.
Allied Health Network
Workplace claims will statistically happen and will result in penalties on business ACC levies through Experience Rating. Depending on the size of the business, penalties can be as high as 75% and up to 100% from 2020.
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We know claims are not well managed by employers, or ACC...that's where you come in. We want to refer our clients (employers) to your clinic. We are committed to providing the best system with unbelievable support and we want you to be part of this as a provider.
Our free subscription based ManageCLAIMS Toolkit is a NZ first. It has been created to give employers access to templates, forms, tips, fact sheets and support to manage their claims. Employers can now manage injuries, manage the employee, manage ACC, and ultimately manage their risk.
Click on the document to the left to find out more.