NZ Nurses' Association Wednesday 22 December 2010, 11:37PM
The Government's decision 'in principle' to privatise ACC does
not bode well for New Zealanders says the New Zealand Nurses
Organisation (NZNO).
"The ACC system is not broken, so what exactly is the Government
attempting to fix?" says NZNO president Nano Tunnicliff.
"NZNO believes that people's health and ability to participate
fully in society should come before profit but this Government is
showing once again that only the rich will have a choice when it
comes to accessing health services when they need it"
"I urge the Government to take heed of the experiences of the
1990s when accident insurance levies rose and the number of claims
accepted fell under a private ACC model. All New Zealanders need to
have access to health care and rehabilitation and I fear that won't
happen under a privatised ACC."
"Private insurance companies have no incentive to invest in
injury prevention or to process claims in a timely manner. The only
workable ACC scheme is public owned, by New Zealanders for New
Zealanders."
"New Zealand has a lot to be proud of in its ACC system - it was
set up as part of the social welfare system and it should stay that
way, not as an insurance scheme akin to car insurance." Tunnicliff
says.