WorkCover report calls for return of key medical benefits

17/09/2014

The Legislative Council's Standing Committee on Law and Justice has tabled its report, Review of the Exercise of the Functions of the WorkCover Authority. The report, together with transcripts, submissions and other documents, can be obtained from the committee's website.

Among the noteworthy findings are recommendations 6 and 10:

• the NSW Government restore lifetime medical benefits for hearing aids, prostheses, home and vehicle modifications for all injured workers, noting the actuarial evidence as to the relatively minimal cost of restoring such benefits to the workers’ compensation scheme, and that it promptly review the viability of restoring all lost medical benefits for injured workers under the scheme.

• the NSW Government consider amending section 44(6) of the Workers Compensation Act 1987 to allow legal practitioners acting for a worker to be paid or recover fair and reasonable fees for the work undertaken in connection with a review of a work capacity decision of an insurer, subject to an analysis of its financial impact.

The government has six months to respond.