One of the country's biggest insurance companies says it believes the Government will consider opening more ACC accounts up for competition in the next year.
National has announced that it will campaign in the coming election on its plan to allow private insurance to compete with the Accident Compensation Corporation for workplace coverage from October 2012.
The general manager of insurance company Vero's new ventures, Nigel Edmiston, told Morning Report the message he's getting from the Government is that it will look at other areas of ACC, like the motor vehicle account.
Mr Edmiston says they have not put a timeframe on it, but he believes they will be up for discussion within the next 12 months.
ACC will be tough to take on - Insurance Council
The Insurance Council says the plan to allow competition for workplace insurance is stacked in favour of ACC.
Insurance Council chief executive Chris Ryan says the corporation will start with 100% of the market. He says employers will have to actively choose to change providers, and the market for private insurers could be very small.
But the Council of Trade Unions says it expects insurance companies to price aggressively in an effort to cherry-pick the most profitable clients. It says that could leave ACC more financially vulnerable.
