Previously, it took some time for injured New Zealanders to find out what was happening with their injury claim, as ACC staff manually processed each claim once it was lodged by a provider (e.g. a doctor, physiotherapist or health practitioner). Clients received the outcome of their claim via letters in the post, which often took several days.

We worked with ACC to build the Cover Decisions Model which identifies straightforward claims for injuries that are clearly caused by accidents. For instance, it can take information that’s written on a claim form and categorise the claim, defining things like the cause of the injury, if a sport was involved, and what activity was going on just prior to the accident.

Claims are accepted almost as soon as they are lodged, and, where ACC has their contact details, they will receive a text message notifying them what’s happening with their claim. This has freed up time for staff to focus on more complex and sensitive claims, which continue to be reviewed manually, in the same way they have been.