NEW ZEALAND- HEALTH & SOCIAL SECURITY

The New Zealand health system is made up of public, private and voluntary sectors which interact to provide and fund health care. Over 75% of health care is publicly funded. Health care is provided at two levels: Primary Health care and Secondary Health care. Primary care is offered by practitioner, for e.g., mobile nursing and community based services, dentists, physiotherapists, osteopaths and counselors. People do not access a hospital, whereas secondary health services are hospital based.

New Zealand’s health care system is funded mainly through general taxation. Treatments are usually free or subsidized and medical treatment is generally good. You will be eligible for publicly funded health care, provided you are a New Zealand citizen or an ordinary resident. If a specialist the waiting times care is needed then your GP will refer you to a specialist, where care is free, except for variations in waiting times. Many New Zealanders have private health insurance, enabling them to bypass the waiting times in the public health system for treatment of non-urgent conditions.

Estimated life expectancy in New Zealand has increased since 1986 particularly for males. Male life expectancy is lower than female across New Zealand. One in every New Zealander is going without medical care because of financial reasons, according to a survey carried out by Harvard University for the Commonwealth Fund.

 
New Zealand has one of the oldest security systems in the world. At first it was Noncontributory age old pensions paid for from the government followed by pensions for widows and miners, and then child allowances were introduced. In 1938 the New Zealand government introduced the most extensive system of pensions and welfare in the world, which included free hospital treatment, free pharmaceutical service, and heavily subsidized treatment by medical practitioners.

Although in some respects the system has been eroded, Doctors fees though still subsidized by the state have become high. Many people instead of seeking treatment in public hospitals invest in private medical insurance and take treatment from private hospitals. In 2003, the New Zealand Superannuation system, which was granted to all citizens over the age of 65, was replaced by the retirement savings scheme.

There are a number of other pensions and welfare payments including allowance for each child up to age 16 and additional “family care” payments for low income families as well as benefits for single parents, invalids, and the sick. Any person suffering injury from accidents, whether at work or not can receive compensation for disability, and they are covered by insurance for any medical or treatment.