A 'Reassessment' is a second or subsequent assessment of the degree of permanent impairment in a case where a final assessment has already been made and compensation has been paid to the client in respect of impairment arising from the one injury.
A reassessment should be distinguished from:
- the first assessment under S24 and S27
- an interim assessment under S25.
If a calculation is a reassessment, any compensation paid in respect of earlier determinations of the degree of permanent impairment will be taken into account in determining the amount of compensation as a result of the reassessment. The manner in which the deduction is calculated is set out in S25(4) which states:
25(4) Where Comcare has made a final assessment of the degree of permanent impairment of an employee, no further amounts of compensation shall be payable to the employee in respect of a subsequent increase in the degree of impairment, unless the increase is 10% or more.
The 10% threshold increase for reassessment provided at s25(4) does not apply to the conditions listed under s24(8) of fingers, toes, taste and smell resulting in any increase in PI being considered in these cases.
In the case of a hearing loss where the date of injury is on or after 1 October 2001, a reassessment is made under S25(5):
25(5) If Comcare has made a final assessment of the degree of permanent impairment of an employee constituted by a hearing loss, no further amounts of compensation are payable to the employee in respect of a subsequent increase in the hearing loss, unless the subsequent increase in the degree of binaural hearing loss is 5% or more.