Health care
 

Hello, we've just decoded to move and DaddyQB is applying for jobs in Wellington. How does health care work? Is there an NHS, private only or employer schemes? Thank you.

Re: Health care
 

There is subsidised health, but not as much is covered as is by the NHS. It does depend on the District Health Board, mine (Hutt Valley) is pretty good, but more rural ones, not so much. Some employers offer Southern Cross, which is like Bupa, I get this through work, and it refunds 80% of my health costs. Some employers offer preferential rates with Southern Cross, but don't pay for membership.

Re: Health care
 

I miss NHS - could tell you of all the mishaps and a few wins but those types of things may never happen to you. You pay for GP appts, ours is $52.00 per visit - really does mean you, as in my case, do not go as often as you may need or would of done in the UK. My work does not offer health care, MrF's does but its not that great and only covers him and that he had to negotiate with the Company during the offer stage. Kids can go free to GP up til the age of 13 at the moment. My local area has a centre for Youth Services and this also provides GP's up til the early 20's if I remember correctly.

Re: Health care
 

I am very confused about the healthcare system in NZ. We've been here 10 years and don't currently have insurance. We had when we first came here and the monthly fee was $270, the following year it rose to $360, pre existing conditions excluded. I've no idea what it would cost now but I'm guessing nearer to $1000 per month. I rarely see the GP but if I do the cost is $45.5 per visit. 3 years ago I was referred to the Eye Clinic by my GP and I had a cataract operation at no cost to me, probably because I have only one good eye. However a Kiwi friend in his 70s has just had to pay $4000 for his cataract operation.
4 years ago my husband had an accident in the home requiring an ambulance and some ongoing aftercare at home - no charge. Recently, as a result of new medication he fainted in a public place and was taken to hospital, where he was thoroughly tested for a possible underlying cause for the faint. There was no charge for that but a charge of $100 for the ambulance.
I'm afraid of possible future costs should either of us have serious health issues. Health insurance will probably not cover any pre existing conditions and probably wouldn't kick in for a year or two.
I'm very confused and although the NZ Immigration website claims that health care is free or low cost, it obviously isn't and potential immigrants need to understand that.

Re: Health care
 

I don't understand what the problem is. If you become Ill you will be treated free of charge. There is a small fee for going to the doctor which isn't going to financially cripple anyone. There may be a small charge for an ambulance, just like in the UK. If you are ill and want to jump a queue you can pay, just like in the UK or pay insurance and go private, just like the UK. What's the problem ??

Re: Health care
 

yeh me to, to be honest I think the costs depends on the GP, I am just getting over a really bad chest infection that saw me in the hospital. Initial visit cost me $55.00 but because his assessment was to do nothing had to return a week later because it was far worse, he then prescribed drugs, again another $55 fee, long story short ended up in hospital. They did try to give my husband a bill on the 3rd visit, which was when I ended up going to hospital and he told them we wont be paying and threw it away. Yet my husband went to the same surgery with a different Dr and the the 2nd appt was at a reduced fee.
Same surgery refused to send my daughter to a consultant as their opinion was she was to young to be needing a check for what we thought the issue could be, we changed her to a different surgery and she was immediately referred, seen within a month and then had an op a month later, with the Consultant saying it was one of the worse case she had seen for some years.

I do find that I am more reluctant to go to the GP here, which is why I think my health has suffered, but we are extremely restricted as to where we can register and I have no faith with most of the GPs at the current surgery. MrF will only see one particular GP there and I think I shall also be going down that route, which means waiting times will be longer.
They have now also introduced a phone triage if you need an urgent appt, you call, you then have to speak to a nurse and if they can't help they then have to speaks to a GP, the nurse then calls you back with either saying you need an appt and puts you back to reception to make one or gives you advise over the phone - this can take many hours - madness

Re: Health care
 

I personally don't find it too difficult to get my head around. There are some differences and similarities between UK and NZ systems but nothing too major to get your head around.

If you book a doctors appointment, you pay between $30-50 per visit. Prescriptions are a small fee on top unless the drug you want isn't funded then you may have to pay more.
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If you fall ill with cancer or another big long term illness and require hospital treatment, you pay nothing. If you want treatment or operations done privately, then you pay or if you have private medical insurance then you go through that. Private care gets you seen to quicker and essentially by-passes the public system. My aunt has just had a procedure done here. She could have had in through the public system for free but with a 4 week wait. She went private and had it done within 1 week at a personal cost to her.

Ambulance you pay a small fee as they are not publicly funded, they are usually run by a charity (e.g. St John).

I can't think of anything else of difference at the moment apart from dentists are not publicly funded, you have to go private and it is expensive. Hope and pray your kids don't need braces!

Re: Health care
 

It is confusing because there are two very different funding paths between accidents and other medical illnesses; in the first instance your husband had an accident so his trip to the hospital would be covered by ACC. Ongoing costs for treatment / therapy following an accident for a finite number of visits by ACC - this can be quite expensive as you will be paying private sector prices, albeit partly subsidised by ACC .

In the second instance he would have been treated under the the regular health system and hence the charge for ambulance.

Re: Health care
 

Are you saying that treatment for a chronic illness is completely free of charge. I understand that treatment after an accident is free but if I'm unfortunate enough to develop cancer and need chemotherapy or surgery will that be free. When I read of cancer patients being denied certain drugs because they're not funded and they cannot themselves afford the thousands of dollars needed for treatment, I have to doubt it. Perhaps someone with experience of such a case can reassure me.
I have friends in the UK who have needed long term cancer treatment and it hasn't cost them a penny.
You also state that there's a charge for an ambulance call out in UK. I think you'll find that is not the case.
You asked what the problem is. For me health care isn't currently a problem but potential immigrants need to know that it isn't like the NHS where all treatment is free including prescriptions for the over 65's and children. Prescription charges are slightly higher in UK than NZ for those who have to pay. If families come to NZ with teenagers the cost of healthcare could come as a shock. I'm simply saying they need to know.

Re: Health care
 

You are panicking over nothing.
NZ healthcare is FREE.

I read that Donald Trump isn't a racist, it doesn't make it true

You are trying to point out what isn't available in NZ without bothering to check facts or figures, and seem to have forgotten the many court cases that hit the news in the UK for people being denied access to drugs and treatments due to costs or waiting lists. Did you know NZ has a higher survival rate for major cancers than the UK, No, I thought not.....

​​​​​I would not let the possibility that I may, or may not, develop a form of cancer at some unknown point in the future be a consideration for a potential move to another country, it's ridiculous, and if you do,I would suggest migrating isn't for you, there are simply far too many what if's for comfort

Re: Health care
 

Thank you for your reply. From reading other comments it seems I'm not the only one who finds the system unclear and would like to see it written in black and white in a document. It seems that it depends on where you live and who your GP is . The point I've tried to make is that the NZ Immigration website claims it's free or low cost, which is misleading for anyone thinking of moving here under the impression that it's similar to the NHS.

Re: Health care
 

I think what they mean by low cost is that it's not like America where you must have health/medical insurance and there is no public system.

I've known two people with cancer. Apart from doctors appointments, all treatment has been of no extra cost (apart from the previously mentioned operation that was done privately out of choice). The meds, the specialist appointments and other treatment hasn't cost them a penny. I'm guessing some forms of treatment aren't funded but that's the same in the UK.

Re: Health care
 

Thanks for clarifying that. I understand that there might be times when some treatments are not covered but it's reassuring to know that generally treatment is provided free. Hopefully I'll never need it!

Re: Health care
 

I'm usually just a lurker, but felt that I must reply to this thread. Firstly we have been here almost 14 years after living in the States for the previous 16 years. We have absolutely no complaints whatsoever about the healthcare here. My husband was diagnosed 6 years ago with Follicular Lymphoma, this is an indolent (slow growing cancer, incurable, but not a killer ) he had a lump in his groin which he went to see our GP about. Gp sent him up to Christchuch where he had a fine needle aspiration which confirmed the disease then a biopsy which incuded a bone marrow biopsy too. The normal with this type of Lymphoma is to be put on "watch and wait" but we would go up & see his oncologist every 3 months at Christchurch hospital. Nothing changed in all that time until 8 months ago when a lymph node was pressing on his kidney & his consultant told us it was time for some treatment. So he had 6 months of Chemo done here in Ashburton hospital, finished it 2 months ago & after a CT scan when to see the consultant again for results. Every lymph node has shrunk considerably and we were told that he wouldn't need any treatment again for years & years. He will still have 3 monthly appts up in Christchurch.The only cost to us has been $38 for his initial GP visit and the cost of petrol.

As for me, well couldn't let hubby be better than me!!!!!!!! Last Dec. I went to the Drs with a UTI, it cleared up after the antibiotics she gave me, but I never felt any different was still having to go every 5 mins so I went back to see her. She wondered if I could possibly have a kidney stone so sent me for a CT scan. That showed a thickening of the rectal wall so I got sent for a colonoscopy. After they biopsied a growth it came back as Bowel Cancer. The surgeon said I would need an op to resection my bowel have an illeostomy for a while then have it reversed at a later date. I had 5 rounds of Radiotheray & 4 months of Chemo. I've had CT scans, Colonograms MRI and other stuff done. Because my Chemo consisted of an intravenous on day1 of every round & chemo pills (8 per day for 21 days each round) the oncologist wrote me a prescription every month for the pills. Because I got them through our local pharmacy I got a $5 prescription charge each time. One thing we did was to look up the price of the pills in the States & they would have cost $48 dollars a pill. So I paid $20 for my Chemo & $38 Gp fee. Tomorrow I go in to St Georges hospital which is a private hospital for the reversal surgery. Because of the Christchurch shooting which I know was in March all non urgent surgeries (me for which I am so thankful to be) got put on hold. For some reason I got put into the "private bag" by the surgeon so will be in a private hospital at no charge whatsoever to me.We really can't fault any of the care we've had & the medical teams who have surrounded us have been wonderful. We just know where we'd rather be when it came down to being sick & it honest to god wasn't the States

Re: Health care
 

Thank you for your reassuring account of your personal journey through the NZ health care system. It seems I've been unnecessarily concerned . I suppose it might be different in some parts of the country but that would also be the case in UK where it's described as the Post code Lottery. I'm glad things are working out well for you and your husband and wish you a healthy future

Re: Health care
 

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.

Re: Health care
 

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.

Re: Health care
 

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

Re: Health care
 

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.

Re: Health care
 

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.

Re: Health care
 

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.

Re: Health care
 

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.

Re: Health care
 

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

Re: Health care
 

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?

Re: Health care
 

$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.

Re: Health care
 

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.