ACC’s internal policies and procedures for impairment assessments and client reviews
SPENCER JONES made this Official Information request to Accident Compensation Corporation
The request was partially successful.
From: SPENCER JONES
Dear Accident Compensation Corporation,
Under the Official Information Act 1982, I request the following documents that relate to ACC’s internal policies and procedures for impairment assessments and client reviews, specifically in the context of decisions concerning Permanent Injury Compensation:
1. Impairment Assessment Policies
• All internal policy and procedure documents related to the application of the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment.
• Guidelines used by assessors (including general practitioners and specialists) when determining Whole Person Impairment (WPI) scores.
• ACC's protocols on how non-physical impairments (e.g., cognitive, neurological, psychiatric) are to be assessed under the AMA framework.
2. Referral and Evaluation Pathways
• ACC’s policy on referral procedures for neuropsychological, neurological, or psychiatric evaluation when symptoms of head injury, memory loss, or mental/emotional impairment are present.
• Internal criteria for when such referrals are deemed necessary during the impairment assessment process.
3. Review and Dispute Resolution Process
• The internal guidance for handling ICRA reviews and ADR sessions, including expectations for evidence evaluation, client participation, and escalation of disputed decisions.
Please provide electronic copies of these policies, preferably in PDF or Word format.
If any part of this request is likely to be refused under section 18 of the Act, I request that you consider releasing the remainder of the information without delay.
I look forward to your response within the statutory 20 working days.
Yours faithfully,
SPENCER JONES
From: Government Services
Accident Compensation Corporation
Kia ora Spencer
Please find attached our response to your official information request
dated 30 April 2025. If you have any questions about the response you can
contact us at this [1]address, for all other matters please use our
contact form at: [2]https://www.acc.co.nz/contact/ alternatively give us
a call on 0800 101 996.
If you are having trouble viewing the PDF, please ensure you have the
latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader. To download this freeware please
click [3]here.
Ngâ mihi
Thomas Jackson (he/him)
Manager | OIA Services
* PO Box 242, Wellington 6011
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