ACC to cover more childbirth injuries
More birth injuries are set to be covered by ACC after an expanded bill passed its second reading in the House.
Parliament has expanded the scope of the Accident Compensation (Maternal Birth Injury and Other Matters) Amendment Bill, to provide ACC cover for birth injuries, after a select committee of MPs heard evidence from some 800 submitters.
The new bill added six new categories of birth injuries, bringing the total to 12. The injuries include specified prolapses, tears, fractures and dislocations, and the rupturing of the uterus.
Proponents of the bill had criticised the extent of coverage it was set to provide parents who suffer birth injuries. The amended bill will not be retrospective, meaning it will not cover existing injuries, and it will not include mental injuries.
ACC Minister Carmel Sepuloni, speaking in the House on Wednesday evening, said she wanted to reassure those who submitted on the bill that it was ‘‘intended to cover all maternal birth injuries that can be caused by childbirth’’. ‘‘Using its own estimates about how often the injuries on the list occur and how many parents will make claims, ACC now expects to support 28,000 women per year to access the support they need.’’
There were two changes made to the bill by the education and workforce select committee: a greater number of birth injuries listed as covered by the bill and a clause requiring the list of birth injuries to be reviewed in the future. Sepuloni said if a mental injury was caused by a birth injury it could also be covered under the bill.
National Party spokesperson for women Nicola Grigg said the bill was ‘‘an excellent step towards advancing the rights and protections of women in New Zealand, and particularly mums’’. ‘‘But we do have a little bit of discomfort around the lack of robust costing,’’ she said, suggesting an estimate of $25 million a year may be low. We do know, though, that there are about 18,000 women a year who do suffer quite severe, quite traumatic injuries. About 85% of women who give birth in New Zealand each year do need medical attention and, as we all know in this day and age, medical services don’t come quick and they don’t come cheap.’’
The National, Green and ACT parties all supported the bill in its second reading.