cyndi

Yes but it's something you don't know until it happens so you have a right to be concerned, I'm originally from England and worked in the NHS even though I was on the Dental side of it. My hubby is American & the healthcare over there was a big shock to me, always felt that they were looking to see how many $ signs were floating above your head and so relieved we were always healthy back then. It was a great relief coming over here and having a system not too different from the UK. Will always remember having been here just a short time & our son had a really bad sore throat & was prescribed antibiotics. He's allergic to penicillan & in the States we used to pay anything from$125 - $185US for an alternative. When we had the prescription for him filled here at that time it was only $3. I must have said in a highish voice "how much". The Chemist was so apologetic saying sorry we know you wouldn't have to pay this charge back in England as he was only 14 then. Tried to explain to him that I wasn't complaining and told our son that he could get sick again. I got my daily dose of Chemo pills wrong in my original post, had to take 8 pills twice a day, I rattled when I walked.

Justcol

It is free or low cost, I don't understand what your interpretation of low cost is, but 40 bucks to see a Dr and 5 bucks for a script ....???

I've been in hospital twice in 11 years. One through A&E where I was seen within an hour, had tests done and seen first by a doctor and then a consultant before being allowed home later that day. The other was a serious event that saw me taken to hospital by ambulance and resulted in a hospital stay for the best part of a month. Both times I was given what I felt was better treatment than I had ever received from the NHS and neither time cost me a cent.

As with any health system anywhere in the world, money will buy you a place at the head of a queue and a bed in a room away us riff raff.

A4Ron

How does waiting lists compare (non-private) between here and the NHS?

BEVS

It is a similar pointing type of system.

Depends on what is required.

I posted the fact sheet up once somewhere. I will try to find the same again.

I 've had both very good and very bad care experiences with both countries health services. UK and NZ.

KOH2

When it's a one-off like that it's probably OK. When you have a lifelong condition, yet you still have to see the doctor every second time just to get a repeat prescription & then also pay for the nurse to administer the medication then unfortunately it all adds up, especially as in the UK I could get a year's supply of my medication, but here I'm only allowed 3 months'.

Lucky you !!!

As we age we find that we need the services of the medical profession more often and that's when the costs start mounting.

Hubby had a suspected melanoma, they took a chunk of skin out of his arm, botched the job badly and even though it went on the ACC the surgery still charged him when he needed more antibiotics. Turned out it wasn't cancerous after all...

Just some health systems are more affordable than others.

Justcol

Don't really want to get into an I've been sicker than you argument.

Sounds like your issue is misdiagnosis not cost or waiting times.

scrubbedexpat094

I have mixed feelings over healthcare in NZ. Some practices here scare the living daylights out of me, potassium drips not going through a pump, lack of double-checking of controlled drugs being given to a patient, practioners doing stuff that they haven't trained to do eg. waterbirths.
My GP is excellent but it's $50 per visit and $25 for a repeat prescription. Then $5 per covered prescription item for 3 months. It all adds up, especially when you suddenly find your health failing.
The systems in place for linking up between GP's, hospitals, labs and screening/testing facilities aren't particularly well joined up in NZ - that's said from both a professional and personal perspective.

Like others, I've had great and poor service in both the UK and NZ, so the perfect healthcare system doesn't exist anywhere. I do worry about getting older here and how are going to manage as we get older from a healthcare perspective.
We donate to St.John's ambulance service, so that we get an ambulance free if we need it. Thankfully we've only needed one once each and once after an RTC, the latter was paid for by ACC.

ACC isn't fit for purpose for many a medical situation, as I and many others have found having been injured by surgical mesh. This left me & my OH self-funding a trip to Aussie for removal at a cost of @NZ$18k or leaving it in situ and me being wheel-chair bound and in immense pain. I know of other people with other conditions that have had similar problems with ACC.

It's taken me about 10 years to fully understand the health system in NZ, when it works it's good. It's when it doesn't it becomes a problem.

Antonia Czarnogrebel

Hi you seem to have a clearer reply then anyone under health care. Me and my husband have been thinking about moving having been to NZ twice in the last 2 years. The problem is my husband is type 1 diabetic. In the UK he doesn't pay for any of his insulin his yearly blood tests and his eye scans and lazer treatment if required. It concerns me that it would cost too much for his health care and monthly prescription. For example just to check his blood in the UK it would cost close to £75 a month not including his insulin. So does NZ work on insurance or is it free? Thank you

Moses2013

Although this thread is old, it seems to be a common thing that people judge a whole country when it comes to healthcare. 50$ to see a doctor is nothing and the system in NZ is still far better than other countries, although that's not the point. At the end of the day the person treating you is more important than the rating of a whole system. Just because the Premier League is rated the best league in the world doesn't mean that the player from Iceland is worse than any player in the Premier League. If people had a bad meal at a restaurant, would they automatically say that every restaurant in the country is the same?

Bo-Jangles

$50 is not a lot to some people if they only go to the Doc once or twice a year but it can quickly add up to a lot if you have an ongoing problem and have to go on a regular basis. It's not just the doctor you pay for either; heaven help you if you pull a muscle or slip a disc in your back and need osteo, physio or other treatments. ACC only goes so far and provides a small discount on private costs and they soon start to get arsey about continuing funding and will argue everything they can down to age related 'wear and tear' so that they avoid paying. Getting old and creaky can be an incredibly expensive business in NZ.

https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-...in-new-zealand

I don't know anything about funding for Diabetes sorry Antonia or how much that kind of stuff costs (if anything) but need to be aware that immigration likely will want medical reports etc from you as they won't approve a visa if there is an existing high cost medical condition anyway. Not sure how others have gone on with diabetes but will need medical officer to approve.

KOH2

Not sure what type of visa you'd like to come in on but here is some information about diabetes care in NZ:
https://www.diabetes.org.nz/travelling-to-new-zealand

Our son is also Type 1 however he's still under paediatric care which differs in frequency from adult care. We pay $5 per item per prescription up to a yearly cap of $120 (this can include other family members in your household) - once you've paid $120 the remaining prescriptions are free until the next financial year. You can only get up to 3 months worth of prescriptions at a time (and currently under Covid-19 only one month). I think blood tests might be free but you have to have a referral from your GP so be prepared to shell out for those visits. You're also charged for repeat prescriptions so as Bo-Jangles mentioned the costs can quickly add up.