As one would expect for a system that covers large employers, Comcare continues to perform above the national average for many measures, including RTW rates and RTW planning.
However, there are also indications that some of Comcare’s achievements may be occurring at the expense of employee-centred care. Worrying trends at Comcare include:
• The cost of claims has risen from $15 000 in 2005-06 to almost $20 000 in 2008-09. This is substantially higher than the national average.
• Around 1/3 of Comcare workers can identify a person who made it harder to RTW, which is higher than the national rate. Over the last three years there has been a significant increase in Comcare employees reporting their employer has hindered return to work.
• Over the last two years, Comcare workers have found it increasingly difficult to find the information they need to make a claim.
• Comcare workers rated their insurer customer service lower than the national average, with communication, advice about the claim and understanding the situation rated lowest.
Comcare oversees Australia Post’s compensation scheme and, as a result of allegations that workers are being pressured back to work before they are medically fit to return, Australia Post is now the subject of a government inquiry into their management of work related injuries.
Despite increasing calls for a collaborative approach to managing workers’ compensation and return to work, no Australian jurisdiction (with the exception of Tasmania) releases a year by year comparison of scheme performance. Drawing on information from the annual national Return to Work Monitor, Return to Work Matters has collated jurisdictional data over the last four years, and analysed trends in each jurisdiction.
Real collaboration requires that all stakeholders be able to access information to assess the impact of legislative and systems changes on workers compensation and return to work outcomes. Until all Australian jurisdictions live up to the rhetoric of collaboration and make this data public, Return to Work Matters will endeavour to fill this gap. For a full picture of Comcare’s performance see http://www.rtwmatters.org/
Ends
Sources:
HWCA – 2008/2009 Aust & NZ RTW Monitor - August 2009 - Campbell Research & Consulting
For further statistics or comment contact:
Dr Mary Wyatt - Editor
Return To Work Matters - www.rtwmatters.org
Ph: 03 9866 6376 or 0414 766 779 info@rtwmatters.org
