Hospital asked to hold off ACC 'co-payment'

Timaru Hospital's plan to introduce a part-charge for physiotherapy patients to offset a reduction in ACC funding has been put on hold at the request of the Ministry of Health.

The hospital's part-charge would have kept it in line with private physiotherapists, who, because of changes to ACC funding that came into effect on Monday, are now able to charge ACC clients a "co-payment" to offset a one-third reduction in funding for treatments.

South Canterbury District Health Board chief executive Chris Fleming said the Ministry of Health had made the request to all district health boards last week.

The Ministry of Health said it made the request so it could consider a nationally consistent approach to the issue of part-charges for ACC patients at hospital physiotherapy services.

However, Mr Fleming said he was concerned there might be an increase in demand from ACC patients at the hospital as a result of private physiotherapists introducing part-charges.

"If this happens we will have to prioritise referrals. Our core business is meeting the hospital inpatient demand for physiotherapy. ACC work is carried out as capacity permits."

ACC patients make up a small proportion of the work carried out by the hospital's physiotherapists.

In the year to the end of September, the hospital's physiotherapy service saw 174 new patients for ACC-funded treatment, which accounted for only 11 per cent of all physio patients.

The six South Canterbury physiotherapy clinics that were fully funded by ACC before its funding changes began charging co-payments from Monday.

Co-payments for initial treatments are in the $15 to $25 range, while follow-up treatments vary between $10 and $20.

Mr Fleming said the amount of the hospital's proposed part-charge had still been under discussion when the Ministry of Health's request was received.

He said any co-payment would only be paid by ACC patients.

General physiotherapy patients would continue to receive free visits.