Changes to workers compensation brought in by the NSW government
mean that an amputated foot is no longer considered a serious
injury. Also under the harsh new rules covering injured workers,
people needing prosthetic limbs or hearing aids are no longer
provided with ongoing medical benefits.
As the Sydney Morning Herald reports, this means an 80
year old man who lost most of his hearing after working with jack
hammers will have to pay $8,500 to replace his hearing aids every
three years. He can't afford it and will be condemned to
deafness.
These are just a few examples of the unfairness of the new
WorkCover scheme that leaves only the most catastrophically injured
workers receiving ongoing financial assistance. The number of
injured workers receiving benefits under WorkCover has been slashed
from 70,500 in 2012 to 60,000 in 2013. The cost of resolving
disputes is now often higher than the cost of the claim.
