A couple years ago when my daughter fell off her scooter and chipped her tooth, we went to the ED for free and received an ACC claim number which was used to fund Makayla's entire dental repair and will cover any future repairs to her tooth for the entirety of her life.
When my lower back started hurting recently, I eventually went to my GP who filed an ACC claim number so that I could receive sports related physical therapy essentially for free.
The ACC is the Accident Compensation Corporation
Everyone in New Zealand is covered by ACC’s no-fault scheme if they’re injured in an accident. This includes children, beneficiaries and students. It doesn’t matter if they’re working, unemployed or retired. It also includes visitors to New Zealand. The ACC will also help in the case that a person experiences a postop complication that causes temporary disability. Recently, the NZ government increased its list of birth injuries like perineal lacerations that they are covering- oftentimes women need long term therapies long after the initial recovery is over.
The cover they provide helps pay for the costs of your recovery. This includes payment towards treatment, help at home and work, and help with your income.
There are some limits to the support we can provide. These limits are set by Parliament, which makes laws about what we can and can’t support. For example, we can’t cover things like illness, conditions related to ageing, and emotional issues.
As a NZ resident, if I am injured while overseas, I can receive medical care for free when I come back to NZ
If you are a visitor to NZ, you are encouraged to get travel insurance, but there is a list of injuries or accidents that are also covered for you as well.
Call me a socialist, but when I pay taxes I actually see where it is going and I reap the benefits along with everyone else.
It is a huge commitment for a government to be the safety net for its citizens. No one should have to be bankrupted or have their entire world fall apart due to one injury or accident or post operative complication.