More birth injuries should be covered by the Accident Compensation scheme, a parliamentary Select Committee recommends.
Changes are expected to cost ACC $25 million annually. Photo:
The Accident Compensation (Maternal Birth Injury and Other Matters) Amendment Bill proposes expanding the definition of accident to include birth injuries and sets out a list of seven defined physical injuries that should be covered by the scheme.
The bill was proposed after RNZ reported a review of ACC's policy on covering perineal tears resulted in a dramatic drop in the number of women being covered.
The government estimates the changes will help between 17,000 to 18,000 women each year, and cost ACC around $25 million annually.
The Education and Workforce Select Committee, which has been hearing submissions on the bill, wants it to go further.
In a report published today it concludes the bill should cover a greater range of physical injuries than originally planned, adding a further six to the original list.
It also wants the list of injuries to be reviewed in three years' time.
"We strongly urge the next committee to examine whether the list of maternal injuries needs to be expanded or modified in some way to improve cover," the report said.
While all MPs on the committee unanimously agreed to the amendments, the report noted the Green Party had a "differing view".
The Greens pushed for a "general category of birth injuries, rather than a closed list approach". It also wanted the bill to be expanded to cover all prior birth injuries, as the new legislation would not be retrospective, and for injuries to babies and mental injuries due to traumatic births to be included.