dandihuff

Hello all

We are from Britain and my husband has just been offered a permanent job at Massey University in Palmerston North. We are meant to be out there by early Feb 08 (which is a bit of tight turnaround). He is applying for a work for residence visa and I am applying for a work visa (family stream) - as this is what the NZ embassy in London said we had to do.

I have also just found out I am pregnant but I have been told by New Zealand colleagues here that no medical insurance company will cover me in NZ (because I got pregnant before taking out the insurance).

As such, does anyone know if
a) I would be covered/eligible for free maternity care
b) If I will have to pay for any maternity/antenatal/postnatal care costs
c) How much these things might be?

Any help or advice would be gratefully received

Thanks

Dawn

crap coffee

---WHO PAYS for YOUR HEALTH CARE?---


# Are you eligible for free health care?

Yes, if you are one of the following:

1. A pregnant woman with a spouse/partner who is a NZ resident (maternity care only)
2. A foreign worker with work permit(S) for two years or more
3. An Australian or U.K resident requiring “immediate necessary treatment”
4. A child under 18 years who is under the legal guardianship of an eligible person

# Are there any exceptions?

Yes, all overseas visitors are eligible for free treatment under the following circumstances.

*Accident
All overseas visitors are entitled to free acute(emergency) care following an accident. However they must apply to ACC for approval to undergo any ongoing treatment.

*Compulsory Treatment
Free care is provided for any patient who has been admitted to hospital under a compulsory treatment order issued under:

1.The Tuberculosis Act,
2.The Mental Health Act, or
3.The Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Act.

# If you are not eligible, who pays?

*Insurance Company Payments – It is the responsibility of the patient to arrange for all payments to be made to C&C DHB. Only if an insurance company has accepted liability and C&C DHB is guaranteed payment, will C&C DHB invoice the insurance company.

*Personal Payment – In other instances (where insurance does not apply) you will be personally liable for the cost of treatment.
Payment for treatment can be made at:
Emergency Department Reception
Cashier, Finance Department
Woman Health Service Outpatients
Security Orderlies

*General Specialist Treatment - Any ineligible patient who seeks general specialist treatment at a hospital will be prioritised alongside eligible patients if there is spare capacity for the treatment. The estimated coast must be paid in advance and any additional costs must be paid at the end of treatment.

#Overseas visitors will be charged for taxpayer funded health care

The Government of NZ provides free health care and disability services to people who are ordinarily legally resident in New Zealand. Very few services are provided free to people who are not NZ residents.

District Health Boards are required by the government to ensure only people who are eligible are provided with free health care.

As a result, Hospital staffs will ask all patients who were not born in New Zealand to produce proof of eligibility.

***Anyone needing EMERGENCY CARE will receive appropriate treatment. However, patients not eligible will be charged for their treatment and asked to pay on discharge from hospital.

-------------------------------------------------------
Hope this helps (a bit)

regards,

Libby

ned

WELL...
When a Mammy and a Daddy really love each other....

TeamEmbo

I think Ian & Sharon said on their thread that if she needed a c-section it would cost them $10,000?

happynz

My daughter was born via a c-section. Cost me 13,000 all in. (erm...OK, it was thirteen thousand baht...about NZ$525 )