CAN2NZ

Sorry, I am not understanding. Did you have to pay this bill? I thought if you were a permanent resident you didn't need to pay. We were here six months and I had to have surgery as a result of a bike accident, I was in hospital for three days and didn't pay.

SweetyStacey

What about GP costs? Is that covered under the PR eligibility for free health care or do you still pay for that?


Stacey

MOSO

No GP costs are not covered by PR for anyone over 6. I think the kids are about $20 and adults $40 approximately, but this figure varies per surgery, you also pay prescription costs of course.

We also found out that if, like us, you're not close to a hospital and you use the emergency facility in the GP surgery (for a child's broken arm) you still pay to see the emergency doctor, x-rays and plastering/replastering costs. Fortunately (from a financial point of view!) as it was a bad break we were referred to Wellington hospital and it then became free otherwise normally you pay for all the follow-up appointments and xrays so be warned healthcare costs can mount up. Having said that the service we've had from our local surgery has been excellent and we can be seen very quickly.

Just to really cheer you up there are no NHS equivalent dentists either! Primary children get a free annual(ish) check-up at school from a dental nurse but you pay to see a dentist. I've just paid $55 for my 10 year old for a checkup (as she'd bashed her teeth in an accident). It would have been $85 if she'd needed an xray.

Snap Shot

It cost me £45 to see the hygenist last month in Britain for a 30 minute appointment. I have an appointment to see the dentist for a check up in a couple of weeks and that's going to cost £22.50. That's prior to any treatment which will cost more. By the way, I'm an NHS patient. (I've also been quoted £50 - £80 each to replace my fillings with white ones, a cosmetic procedure I know that should not be paid for on the NHS but the days of a totally free NHS are behind us) NZ is not Neverland.

SweetyStacey

I must say that sounds really odd...me and my mother are at the hospital more than average and have yet to see a charge for our treatment.


Stacey

MOSO

The point I was trying to make, following on from the question asked, was that in New Zealand residents/nationals pay for GP appointments (children 6+ and adults) as well as some emergency treatment treated at the GP (such as a child breaking a bone) which you do not pay for in the UK.

Also NHS treatment at the dentist is subsidised in the UK, in New Zealand it isn't and that although children are seen anually(ish) at school by a dental nurse, you do pay full cost for any treatment that a child needs at the dentist.

I hope that answers the question!

bevissa65

Blimey thats some bill!!! We have found a pretty good GP who only charges $15 for an adult visit ($10 for a child) seemed a bit odd to be paying to see a doc after years of free appointments in UK but I did get an appointment for about 30 minutes after I'd telephoned!! I would have happily paid that in UK if I could have seen my doctor that quickly Dreading the dental fee's though. If my daughter needs braces she will have to start work a lot earlier than she might have imagined Bevissa

jmh

That's pretty good Bevissa. I'm pretty sure I remember paying $17 for a doc over 20 years ago!!!

This is one of the concerns I have about returning home to NZ. Paying for medical care that I have taken for granted in the UK.

pricklykina

I like pay for the GP (35 bucks ish for adults and kids at my practice) as I get appointments that are convenient for me

As for accidents - these should be covered by ACC. If you have had to pay at a GP or emergency clinic, then claim it back

Some practices do charge an excess even for accidents outside of normal hours but some don't.

The hospitals are having a crackdown on non eligible patients as it costs them a fortune and these are frugal times. Now you have to prove eligibility (I took my out of date passport a couple of months back and they were happy with that)

Stormer999

I chipped a tooth and paid NHS dentist £48.50 for a tiny filling no injection 12 mins.....

SweetyStacey

I apologise, I misunderstood. My mother gets dental treatement in the hospital so she doesn't get charged for it but she would pay for it if it was in the normal high street dentists.


Stacey

Wooly_Cow

With regards to GP's - you have to pay for some Under 6's as well. The price varies from GP to GP. Here are the prices for Wellington.

http://www.ccdhb.org.nz/planning/Pri...-gp-prices.pdf

IMHO the cost is worth it for the speed and quality of care. Very little waiting, appointments on the same day, no real time limit (well you don't feel rushed anyway). You can get health insurance which covers part of or all of the costs too.

As for dentists, we didn't pay for our three kids recent check up and scale/polish etc. I believe that their treatment is free. We got a leaflet in the post naming those dentists where childrens treatment is free. For myself and my wife we paid about $150 each for the check up, x-rays and full hygenist work which was done at the same time. Not cheap but comparable to the UK.

MOSO

Yes, the annual dental checkup for kids at their school is free, but it is not by a dentist, just a dental nurse. Kids are entitled to "free basic oral health services", if they need to be referred to a dentist for any treatment (such as treatment following an argument between teeth and scooter on Wellington sea front!!!), then you have to pay.

Details of what children can get free are on:
http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/index...kteeth-service

Wooly_Cow

...and reading that it says you can choose a dentist, which is what we did, and that a lot of 'treatments' including fillings, fissure sealant, flouride treatment and some extractions are free.

If your child had an accident it should have been covered by ACC.

Charismatic

FFS it was a joke people, no need for hate mail.

Clearly keeping your child alive is actually the more economical option (which , of course, is your only consideration in choosing to take care of your child ), think of all the food, toys, school uniforms, wasted time teaching & playing with them etc. you invest.

Now turn down the oversensitivity you serious/sour buggers and don’t message me again on this topic (unless it's a really good joke).