It’s proving to be a tough few days for Insurance and Care NSW (icare), which is in charge of the Nominal Insurer – the biggest provider in the workers’ compensation system of New South Wales. Last week icare conceded it needs to improve; now it finds itself in the middle of an investigation pointing to alleged questionable conduct.
The probe, which was featured in the July 27 episode of Four Corners, was a collaboration between the ABC programme and publications The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald. The joint investigation involved internal documents leaked by an icare whistleblower.
Prior to the episode’s airing, a Brisbane Times report quoted State Insurance Regulatory Authority chief executive Carmel Donnelly as saying: “What I have done is commission an assessment of their latest valuation myself with independent actuaries, and I do have some questions about it, which I have raised with icare.”
Read more: icare: “We must get better”
Donnelly, who was cited as expressing her disappointment over icare’s performance as part of the media probe, also confirmed that she has reported the insurer to the Independent Commission Against Corruption. Without providing further details, the CEO said she “will continue to be proactive” on the matter.
Aside from the leaked icare information, which spans issues such as lack of contracts transparency, the Four Corners investigation also had access to sensitive government documents. These, meanwhile, revealed large-scale workers’ compensation underpayment.
Outside NSW, the probe also unearthed supposed unethical practices within the workers’ compensation scheme in Victoria.
