The Department of Labour and ACC are consulting on behalf of the Minister for ACC on regulatory proposals to change the way that ACC provides services for clients with cover for hearing loss under the Accident Compensation Act 2001.
The Department of Labour and ACC have produced a consultation document that proposes the following changes:
- New regulations specifying ACC’s contribution to hearing loss costs – the Accident Compensation Act 2001 requires ACC to provide hearing aids and other entitlements for clients who have hearing loss that is a personal injury covered by ACC, and are assessed as having a clinical need for entitlements. Many clients also have hearing loss caused by other factors (eg ageing). Because hearing aids are fitted to meet the needs of overall hearing loss, employers (through levies) end up paying the full cost of entitlements required as a result of all causes of hearing loss, not just those for covered personal injury. The consultation document outlines two regulatory options for delivering hearing loss entitlements, both of which are premised on ACC making a contribution to hearing loss costs based on the client’s level of injury-related hearing loss as a proportion of his or her total hearing loss. New regulations would apply to both new and existing claims.
- Updating hearing assessment procedures under current regulations – the second proposed change concerns the assessment of work-related noise induced hearing loss under the Accident Insurance (Occupational Hearing Assessment Procedures) Regulations 1999 (‘the Regulations’). The Regulations set the procedures and conditions for assessing noise-induced hearing loss for ACC clients caused by work-related gradual process. It is proposed to ensure those regulations remain relevant and representative of best practice by making three technical changes:
- update the adjustment for age-related hearing loss
- update the acoustical standard used for testing
- remove Schedule 3 and references to base-line hearing tests.
Consultation will run for four weeks from 24 May to 18 June 2010.
The consultation document is available on the Department of Labour’s website (external link).
After consultation, the Department of Labour and ACC will analyse the submissions and, as is required under legislation, ACC will make a final recommendation to the Minister.
More information about the proposed changes to the way ACC provides hearing services for clients can be found in Hearing loss questions and answers.