New Zealand

Citation

(2005), "New Zealand", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 18 No. 7. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijhcqa.2005.06218gab.006

New Zealand

Australasia and the Far East

New ZealandPrimary health money rolled out to 18 to 24-year-olds

Keywords: Primary care, Health services, Quality

Health Minister Annette King and Prime Minister Helen Clark said today (30/06/2005) that 18 to 24-year-olds will benefit from the rollout of lower cost visits to the doctor and lower standard prescription charges from 1 July. More than a quarter of a million New Zealanders are in this age group and enrolled with doctors in the interim PHOs, who can now access the higher subsidy.

The government is providing $17.2 million in extra funding in 2005-2006 to make lower cost doctors’ visits and prescriptions available to all 18 to 24-year-olds enrolled with doctors in Primary Health Organisations.

Helen Clark and Annette King say the $17.2 million is part of the $2.2 billion the Government is spending over seven years from 2002/2003 to roll out the Primary Health Care Strategy, with its higher subsidies for primary health care.

“I am delighted this that group of young New Zealanders will be able to benefit from lower cost health care,” Helen Clark says.

“As doctors in Primary Health Organisations sign up to the lower fees for 18 to 24- year-olds, we are advised that on average the doctors’ fees for this group will be reducing by around $23 to $26 a visit. Around 80 per cent of doctors’ practices have already signed on.

“The standard prescription charge for those enrolled with PHOs who have been paying $15 an item will fall to $3 an item.

“New Zealanders aged under 18 and over 65 are already benefiting from the lower cost care available from higher government subsidies for primary health care. In total there are now more than two million New Zealanders benefiting from the government’s increased funding.

“In July next year the extra funding will be extended to 45 to 64-year-olds enrolled in PHOs, and all other New Zealanders in PHOs will be funded from July 2007. This policy is working for New Zealanders even faster than we first envisaged it would.”

Annette King says the new funding is expected to benefit 231,863 people aged 18 to 24 who are enrolled in interim PHOs. More than 100,000 people in the age group already get similar benefits because they are enrolled with Access PHOs.

“Improving access to primary health care for 18 to 24-year-olds can have a life-long impact on health through, for example, better detection of early symptoms of mental illness, alcohol or drug abuse, or sexually transmitted infections.

“The 45-64 year age group will be the next group to benefit. People in that age group suffer more from chronic diseases, are more frequent users of the health care system, and have higher rates of avoidable hospital admissions,” Annette King says.

“In comparison to the 18-24 and 45-64 year age groups, those aged 25-44 years are healthier and make less use of the health care system overall. That is why this is the last age group to benefit, but the Government is very pleased they won’t have much longer to wait either.”

Helen Clark and Annette King say the Government is committed to making primary health care more affordable and accessible.

“We strongly believe that the best way to make real improvement in the overall health of New Zealanders is to provide access to low cost, high quality primary health care.

“We are seeing the benefits already in the wide range of innovative programmes Primary Health Organisations are developing around the country. The World Health Organisation says New Zealand is in the first division internationally in terms of primary health care. This Government will ensure New Zealand stays there.”

More information at: www.beehive.govt.nz