Policy Recommendations:
- Maintain a comprehensive, holistic, ‘no-fault,’ government provided accident compensation scheme for all New Zealanders.
- Provide for regular external reviews of the scheme’s cost-efficiency and effectiveness, and ensure the results are widely disseminated and understood by citizens and politicians.
- Provide a high level and wide spectrum of rehabilitation benefits, maintaining periodic payments rather than lump payments, which have been shown to produce better outcomes for clients.
- Educate citizens about the benefits of the current scheme and its advantages over privatised services, pointing out the concerns around private insurers’ dual motivations of minimising liability and maximising profit.
- Encourage on-going research into best practice to ensure improved administrative systems, high quality outcomes, better back-to-work rates, and development of further health and safety incentives for employers.