New ACC charges could deter patients

BY PENNY WARDLE

Blenheim physiotherapists who until now have been treating ACC patients for free were this week forced to introduce part charges for consultations.

Endorsed provider Blenheim Physiotherapy has gone from no charges for ACC treatments to $15 for a first visit and $10 for a follow-up. Community services card holders will pay $10 for a first visit and $5 for subsequent visits.

The practice's clients were surveyed for two weeks, and roughly 50 per cent said they could afford to pay $5-$10 per visit, and the remainder $11-$20, practice co-owner Leonie van den Bergh said.

Only some people had indicated that they could pay more than $20.

While she expected the same number of injured people to come through the door, some would probably make fewer visits because of the cost, she said. "That's why we are offering a discounted rate for community services card holders."

Non-ACC patients would pay $48 for a first visit and $40 for a follow-up, and community services card holders $40 and $35.

Marlborough Sports and Spine this week went from no charges for ACC clients to $30 for an initial treatment and $15 for a follow-up, practioner Kore Tombs said.

Accredited physiotherapy practices that were part of ACC's Endorsed Provider Network were previously paid a per-patient subsidy of about $45. On Monday, that dropped to about $32, he said.

Marlborough Sports and Spine had already seen a 20 per cent downturn in patients, possibly due to the perception that injuries caused by accidents would no longer be fully funded, he said.

About 85 per cent of patients treated by the practice were ACC-funded, so he expected the change to be bad for business, at least in the short term.

Blenheim's Physiotherapy Centre opted not to join the Endorsed Provider Network because of the "mountain of paperwork involved", said owner John Chamberlain.

The $24.48 subsidy paid by ACC would not change but the practice was likely to introduce a small increase in fees this month because this amount was no longer adequate to meet costs, Mr Chamberlain said.

"We will still be prepared to lend a sympathetic ear to anyone who may have trouble paying."

A message on ACC's website said the costs of physiotherapy were "unaffordable for levy payers".

The move follows an announcement in March by ACC Minister Nick Smith, who said the organisation would cut entitlements in response to a blowout in treatment costs.

The care was budgeted to cost $9 million when introduced in 2004, but was now costing $139m and was projected to rise to $225m by 2011-12, with no equivalent rise in rehabilitation rates.

New Zealand Society of Physiotherapists president Jonathan Warren said the cuts meant some people in need of treatment would not be able to afford care in some cases, leading to permanent disability.

The society had argued strongly with ACC to make treatment available to low-income earners, with no success, he said.

Each clinic would choose how much to charge, with no oversight from ACC.

However, the cuts would drive some therapists out of business, as physiotherapy was already underfunded, he said.

ACC's financial performance has been under intense scrutiny since post-election revelations of a $1.5 billion hole in its accounts.

-with Fairfax

- The Marlborough Express