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Everyone in New Zealand has 24-hour, seven-day-a-week, no-fault comprehensive injury cover

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BurtWorm Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Mar-20-10 10:59 AM
Original message
Everyone in New Zealand has 24-hour, seven-day-a-week, no-fault comprehensive injury cover
New Zealand's Accident Compensation Commisssion is essentially the deal New Zealanders made to protect themselves against the costs of both injury and litigation for injury. In exchange for giving up the right to sue after an accident, you receive free medical care.

Personally, I would make that deal, I don't know about you. Would Republicans make the deal to give up tort reform if no-fault accident compensation were enacted? Why not tempt them and find out?




http://www.acc.co.nz/about-acc/overview-of-acc/introduction-to-acc/ABA00004#P25_2938


Accident Compensation Commission up and running
The accident compensation scheme came into operation on 1 April 1974 under the administration of the newly established Accident Compensation Commission (ACC). The Accident Compensation Act 1972, and the 1973 Amendment to that Act, defined ACC’s operation.

The 1972 Parliament voted unanimously to pass the Bill into law. The Act covered injuries to earners (both work and non-work injuries) and motor vehicle injuries. The Labour Government came into power later that year, and in 1973 passed an Amendment to the Act providing cover for those not already covered by the 1972 Act (including students, non-earners and visitors to New Zealand).

Three schemes were established under the 1973 Act:

the earners’ scheme, funded from levies paid by employers on wages paid to employees, and paid by self-employed people
the motor vehicle accident scheme, funded by levies paid by owners of motor vehicles
the supplementary scheme, covering those not covered by the earners’ or motor vehicle accident scheme. The Government funded this scheme.
Under the Act, ACC benefits included:

hospital and medical expenses
rehabilitation costs
associated transport costs
earnings-related compensation (payable from the seventh day after the accident at a rate of 80 percent of average weekly earnings before the accident)
lump sum payments for permanent loss or impairment
lump sum payments (up to a maximum of $10,000) for pain and mental suffering
funeral costs and lump sum payments to surviving spouses and children in cases of accidental death.
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kestrel91316 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Mar-20-10 11:02 AM
Response to Original message
1. Why does New Zealand hate liability insurers and personal injury attorneys??????
Edited on Sat Mar-20-10 11:02 AM by kestrel91316
:rofl:

Good for them. Meanwhile, the US remains totally FUBAR.
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Raineyb Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Mar-20-10 11:02 AM
Response to Original message
2. Free medical tends to eliminate the need to sue.
If you have to find a way to pay for medical coverage where else would you turn but to sue the other person involved. This system covers that without having to sue the other person to get that money long after the fact.
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wolfgangmo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Mar-20-10 12:07 PM
Response to Reply #2
9. Lawsuits are only an issue in the US
In every country where there is universal health care lawsuits are both infrequent and low cost because the main cost in any malpractice lawsuit is the cost of ongoing medical care. Once that is removed from the equation then the motivation to sue without good cause disappears.

Having said that, the human fools who are the GOP will never agree to it. If the savings, efficiencies, and outcomes inherent in all universal health care systems (i.e. facts) can't convince them then tort reform (which is, let's face it, not something they are really interested in - it is just the red herring protest de jour) won't either.

Arguing with fools is a waste of time. I usually just agree with them and then ask questions that go to the root of their fears. It is my hope that this will lead them to working it out on their own at some point. After all, there is no one more pissed off than the person who suddenly realizes that those they trusted are actually their worst enemies.
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DrDan Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Mar-20-10 11:22 AM
Response to Original message
3. damn socialists
Edited on Sat Mar-20-10 11:24 AM by DrDan
they are traveling here for the medical care.

You know that . . . don't you.

They hate their insurance. If their healthcare was worth a damn they wouldn't talk so funny.
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Schema Thing Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Mar-20-10 11:23 AM
Response to Original message
4. This would free me up to learn how to do wheelies on a superbike
at my advanced :) age.
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Gman2 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Mar-20-10 11:25 AM
Response to Original message
5. How would you feel, as a new quad, with no pain and suffering?
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BurtWorm Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Mar-20-10 11:28 AM
Response to Reply #5
6. A quad I know was telling me about this with utter envy.
Edited on Sat Mar-20-10 11:31 AM by BurtWorm
I think anyone who became quadriplegic would learn, somehow, bravely, to accept having all their medical bills, durable medical equipment, home modification, etc. paid for for life.
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Gman2 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Mar-20-10 11:34 AM
Response to Reply #6
7. What life?
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BurtWorm Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Mar-20-10 11:35 AM
Response to Reply #7
8. Deep.
:eyes:


Actually there is life after spinal cord injury.
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