Extra support for ACC patients impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle
Kia ora,
We would like to acknowledge all those affected by the impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle. We know that this is a challenging time, especially for those living in the hardest hit areas of Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne and wanted to offer some additional support.
We want to make it easier for people who are injured to access medical care during this difficult time.
We recently told PHOs in the Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti regions that we are offering to cover the co-payment cost for all injury-related general practice and urgent care clinic visits for ACC clients based there.
Assistance for displaced patients
We would like to extend this additional support to those patients who usually live in these regions but have been displaced due to the unprecedented event that was Cyclone Gabrielle. We will cover the co-payment costs for those patients needing to seek ACC injury-related medical attention as a casual patient away from their usual General Practice from 19 February to 19 March 2023.
In addition to existing payments made through our Rural General Practice and Urgent Care Clinic contracts and GP Cost of Treatment Regulations, where a practice elects to waive the usual copayment, ACC will pay an additional $57.50 incl. GST ($50 excl. GST) for each visit. Please invoice using code GENE for the additional payment.
Where the co-payment fee is waived:
• we will pay general practice and urgent care clinics the actual co-payment up to a maximum of $50 (excl. GST) for each visit
• you will need to invoice us using code GENE for the patient co-payment, in addition to your usual ACC consult code. Where patients have already been charged a co-payment, they can seek reimbursement from ACC via MyACC (if they are registered to use MyACC) or by contacting 0800 101 996 for assistance.
Mental health support
You may have patients that are seeking mental health support following Cyclone Gabrielle. We can provide cover for mental injuries where:
• there is a mental injury that is caused by a physical injury, or
• the mental injury occurred while the patient was working. In other cases, people can access support via the 1737 Mental Health helpline or seek support funded by Te Whatu Ora or other agencies.
Please pass this message onto your practices as soon as possible, to alert them to this option and the minor change to their PMS required to enable it.
Further updated information from ACC:
We wanted to update you on our support for those who have been affected by the impacts of not only Cyclone Gabrielle, but other adverse weather events in recent times.
Northland has been hit hard and we are therefore extending our offer to cover the co-payment cost for all primary care support (from a GP, nurse, nurse practitioner or urgent care) for an ACC covered injury to Northland residents. This will be from 25 February to 19 March 2023.
Assistance for displaced patients from Northland
On Friday we communicated that those who usually live in the Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti regions but have had to move away due to the effects of the Cyclone, would have the cost of the copayment covered as a casual patient away from their usual General Practice, from 19 February to 19 March 2023.
This same support is now being offered to Northland residents who have had to leave due to recent weather events. Co-payments will be covered from 25 February to 19 March. In addition to existing payments made through our Rural General Practice and Urgent Care Clinic contracts and GP Cost of Treatment Regulations, where a practice elects to waive the usual copayment, ACC will pay an additional $57.50 incl. GST ($50 excl. GST) for each visit. Please invoice using code GENE for the additional payment.
Where the co-payment fee is waived:
• we will pay general practice and urgent care clinics the actual co-payment up to a maximum of $50 (excl. GST) for each visit
• you will need to invoice us using code GENE for the patient co-payment, in addition to your usual ACC consult code. This applies to contracts – GP (80) Nurse (56) and Nurse Practitioner (56A).
Where patients have already been charged a co-payment, they can seek reimbursement from ACC via MyACC (if they are registered to use MyACC) or by contacting 0800 101 996 for assistance.
Mental health support
You may have patients that are seeking mental health support following Cyclone Gabrielle. We can provide cover for mental injuries where:
• there is a mental injury that is caused by a physical injury, or
• the mental injury occurred while the patient was working. In other cases, people can access support via the 1737 Mental Health helpline or seek support funded by Te Whatu Ora or other agencies.