New Zealand healthcare system

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

New Zealand healthcare system

New Zealand has a quality public healthcare system, funded largely through general taxation. Most treatment in public hospitals is free, and many other health services and medicines are significantly subsidised.

Am I eligible for publicly funded healthcare?
All permanent residents are eligible for public healthcare. People with a work permit valid for a minimum of two years at time of issue are also eligible. Eligibility also entitles your partner and any children aged 19 years and under to public healthcare services.

Which health services are covered by New Zealand's public health system?

The following are some of the benefits of New Zealand public health system:

Free public hospital treatment, including 24-hour accident and emergency (A&E) clinics.
Most laboratory tests and X-rays, unless made at a privately run clinic
Healthcare during pregnancy and childbirth, including hospital stays and pre- and postnatal care
Subsidised prescription medicines
Free specialist care when referred by a general practitioner (GP)

Free child immunisations
Free prescription medicine for children under six and subsidised visits to the doctor
Free basic dental treatment for school children
Free breast screening for women aged 45 to 69.
Doctor's visits
A visit to the doctor will cost around $45 – $60 during the week, with an additional fee of $10 – $15 outside of normal working hours. Children under six are often free and fees for children between the ages of 6 and 17 are subsidised. You can usually see the doctor on the same day you make an appointment. Emergency care in a hospital is generally free, as are public hospital treatments following referral from a GP.

Specialist services and non-urgent surgery are free when you are referred by a GP. Waiting times for specialist care vary from hospital to hospital.

What if I have an accident?
If you have an accident you are entitled to free hospital care. The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) helps to cover the cost of out-of-hospital care for accident-related injuries.

If your injury affects your ability to work, ACC will provide compensation based on your income. It can also assist with recovery-related costs such as training and transport, residential nursing care, home help and childcare.

What about private healthcare?
Many New Zealanders purchase private health insurance in order to receive care in private hospitals and to avoid waiting lists for the treatment of non-urgent medical conditions. People with private health insurance are still eligible for free public health benefits.

For more information about New Zealand health services, see Immigration New Zealand’s health settlement pack.

http://www.workingin-newzealand.com/info/611

[madaboutharry]

1. I have a friend who lives in New Zealand.

Her husband is suffering from a terminal illness. If not for the health care system, they would have been completely wiped out financially.

Has everything been perfect? No.

Are they grateful for the care he has received? Most definitely.

[timeforpeace]

2. They have the money since they don't have enormous armed forces waging three wars.

[iverglas]

3. well, that totally sucks

"A visit to the doctor will cost around $45 – $60 during the week, with an additional fee of $10 – $15 outside of normal working hours. Children under six are often free and fees for children between the ages of 6 and 17 are subsidised."

No other system I'm familiar with in a comparable country - e.g. Canada and the UK -- includes such charges.

In Canada, one of the final steps to complete the universal coverage system was to prohibit "extra-billing" by doctors and other providers -- it is illegal for any provider to charge a patient anything in addition to the fee paid by the public plan for a covered service.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

4. It's still better than what we have in the States

When I sprained my ankle in May, I went to the doctor to make sure it wasn't broken. He X-rayed it, taped it up, and gave me some crutches. Cost (and that was WITH the "insured person's" discount) $285. (I have a $5,000 deductible.)

[gwashington2650]

5. Sounds good

Then again, ANYTHING would be better than the joke of a healthcare system we have here.