ACC decisions based on the Claimant's symptoms being caused by degenerative change rather than the result of the injury they have sustained, could become a particular concern as the baby boomer demographic enter into their more senior years.  ACC are now basing many decisions on their medical opinions that the person has not sustained an injury but has a degenerative condition where the injury has just caused that condition to become symptomatic.

Many claimants are becoming extremely unhappy as they have paid their ACC levy for a long period but when they sustain an injury they find they are not covered because ACC decides to use this reason for not covering the rehabilitation of an injury following an accident as they consider the claimant had a degenerative condition prior to the accident.