Division
Karen McNamara The scheme creates barriers and disincentives for injured workers to recover at work—for example, by emphasising the medical, rather than the vocational nature of rehabilitation services. Furthermore, the scheme allows injured workers to make claims for conditions that are unrelated to work, and to undertake treatments that are not evidence based. The truth be known, some injured workers are not getting back to work as quickly as they should be. There is strong community expectation that those who can work, even if only part-time, should do so to their capacity. These factors are contributing to the Comcare scheme being looked upon in a negative manner by the broader community. The Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment (Improving the Comcare Scheme) Bill 2015 is part of a package of reforms that will rehabilitate injured workers and return them to work sooner. The government is also ensuring the long-term viability of the Comcare scheme. Importantly, the proposed measures will ensure that the Comcare scheme continues to provide eligible injured workers with income payments until pension age, and lifetime medical and rehabilitation expenses. The proposed changes will mean that injured workers will be better off in term of access to early rehabilitation, access to provisional medical expense payments, and that they are able to return to work and receive quality medical treatment and attentive care. In addition, claims and disputes will be processed more efficiently and quickly, and some claimants will be eligible to receive higher payments than currently received. The bill is an important step in modernising the Comcare scheme, which has not seen comprehensive reform since it was established in 1988. The bill implements in part recommendations of the review by Mr Peter Hanks QC, and Dr Allan Hawke AC, commissioned by the former government, in 2012. It also makes other changes to the act that will improve the efficiency, cost effectiveness, a
House of Representatives, 2015-06-01. affirmative: ayes 73, noes 48.
Question
Karen McNamara The scheme creates barriers and disincentives for injured workers to recover at work—for example, by emphasising the medical, rather than the vocational nature of rehabilitation services. Furthermore, the scheme allows injured workers to make claims for conditions that are unrelated to work, and to undertake treatments that are not evidence based. The truth be known, some injured workers are not getting back to work as quickly as they should be. There is strong community expectation that those who can work, even if only part-time, should do so to their capacity. These factors are contributing to the Comcare scheme being looked upon in a negative manner by the broader community. The Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment (Improving the Comcare Scheme) Bill 2015 is part of a package of reforms that will rehabilitate injured workers and return them to work sooner. The government is also ensuring the long-term viability of the Comcare scheme. Importantly, the proposed measures will ensure that the Comcare scheme continues to provide eligible injured workers with income payments until pension age, and lifetime medical and rehabilitation expenses. The proposed changes will mean that injured workers will be better off in term of access to early rehabilitation, access to provisional medical expense payments, and that they are able to return to work and receive quality medical treatment and attentive care. In addition, claims and disputes will be processed more efficiently and quickly, and some claimants will be eligible to receive higher payments than currently received. The bill is an important step in modernising the Comcare scheme, which has not seen comprehensive reform since it was established in 1988. The bill implements in part recommendations of the review by Mr Peter Hanks QC, and Dr Allan Hawke AC, commissioned by the former government, in 2012. It also makes other changes to the act that will improve the efficiency, cost effectiveness, a
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