Restrictions on physiotherapy

Press, 10 May 1979, Page 6

Restrictions on physiotherapy

PA Wellington Tighter control over physiotherapy treatment for accidental injury has led to physiotherapists’ lodging hundreds of appeals with the Accident Compensation Commission. The commission says it introduced the new controls, which came into effect on May 1, after big increases in the amount paid out for physiotherapy in the four years the commission has been in existence. The commission says $852,000 was spent on physiotherapy in the first year of operation, and $3.3M for the period from April 1 to November 30, 1978. Ten treatments is the most the commission will pay for without the physiotherapists getting confirmation from the patient’s doctor that more are necessary. The commission will not pay out more than $4 for any one physiotherapy treatment, unless it can be proved that the treatment was especially expensive. The secretary of the Priv a t e Physiotherapists’

to be very little that the commission would accept as justification for extra cost being charged. The commission had refused his claims for extra money for home visits, longer time spent with patients, and use of postgraduate techniques. He filed 15 appeals on May 1. “I hate to think how many would have been filed throughout New Zealand,” he said. There are about 300 physiotherapists in private practice in New Zealand.

“The commission is inferring that physiotherapists have been ripping the sytem off,” said Mr Lamont. “But we warned the commission there would be increases in costs when the system was first introduced. More people are being referred to physitherapists now: that was the intention of the act.”

iMr Lamont said physiotherapists had taken their complaints to the Minister of Labour (Mr Bolger), and were considering appealing to the Ombudsman.