At the moment, many women who are injured during birth cannot access the treatment and financial support they need through ACC. This reflects a broader issue with the ACC legislation. We know that women make fewer claims than men, have fewer injuries covered than men, and each woman's claim costs ACC a third less than a man's in entitlements. Officials initially thought this bill would support 18,000 women per year by extending ACC cover to a list of maternal birth injuries that was based on injuries recorded when New Zealanders are discharged from hospital. Using its own estimates about how often the injuries on the list occur and how many parents will make claims, ACC now expects to support 28,000 women per year to access the support they need; 10,000 more than initially estimated.