How ACC can work for you

ACC seems to cause confusion for many but it’s actually relatively simple. Here’s the run down on how it could apply to you.

What you need to know:

ACC recommends getting treatment as soon as possible after an injury, as waiting till you feel better can often worsen it and make your recovery longer
ACC needs to be satisfied that you have suffered a personal injury. The most common personal injury is a physical injury, which requires actual damage to the body to have occurred (a diagnosis of pain is not sufficient)
ACC looks at a number of factors in determining if your injury is covered
Here are the most common:

1) Has there been an “accident”?

a) a specific event that involves application of force (including gravity) or resistance external to the human body. A good example of this is being hit by something – a moving vehicle, a leaping child, an overzealous golf
swing – resulting in injury to your body
b) sudden movement of your body to avoid a force (including gravity) or resistance external to the  human body. An example of this is moving out the way fast enough to not be hit by that overzealous golf swing!
c) a twisting movement of the body. This type of injury is common with twisting to reach into the back seat of the car or reaching into the back of that awkward cupboard that – in the spirit of spring cleaning – you have decided to scrub

2) Was there a personal injury?

3) Was there external force or injury?

4) Was the claim lodged within 12 months of the injury?

You do not need a referral from a GP to access ACC. Your ACC form can be filled out at our clinic, and your osteopath will be able to determine whether you are eligible for ACC cover based on your injury story and the
physical findings resulting from it.

The number of treatments ACC subsidises is based on the type of injury diagnosed by your osteopath, and varies depending on body site and injury type. ACC then pays a portion of your treatment costs, and also gives you
access to other treatment providers under the same claim. For example we often find that acupuncture can help with certain injuries, and you can have subsidised treatment with both an osteopath and an acupuncturist under the same claim as long as they are on separate days.

Need to know more?

If you have any questions about whether your injury may be covered by ACC, please feel free to call us for a chat and we can more than likely determine whether it meets the criteria over the phone.