[The Bolers]

Hi everyone,

We've finally arrived in NZ and now we have found somewhere to live we are hoping to sign up with a doctor etc but...

we have no idea how it works here. Can anyone help?

Thanks

[JasonS]

after asking around about some of the local drs, i called the office of one dr that a friend recommended. it turned out that he was not taking any new patients at the time, but he shares a practice with 3 other drs and 2 of them were taking new patients. so the receptionist took our names and address down. then she mailed us some general information/ health history forms to fill out and that was it. after they received our paperwork and got it into the system, we had a dr.

laurel

[mgbridges]

To add to this:

You'll be charged per visit by your GP and there can be quite big differences between practices so ask before you register anywhere. Usually kids are cheaper than adults though. Prices are also different between being a 'walk-in' or a registered patient. Some practices also charge differently if you need to see somebody in a hurry and can't see the GP you're registered with.

Equally once you're registered if you have any particular problems that need regular care/visit to the GP (e.g diabetes, asthma etc) I think you can get a 'high user' card or something which will bring the costs down further but having not had any reason to investigate that I'm afraid I'm rather vague on it.

You might be able to claim some of your GP costs back dependent on what private health cover you have. Also if your employer has connections with the Marram Trust (www.marram.co.nz) you can claim a percentage of some (not all) GP and prescription costs.

The other thing is that I've found that by using the same pharmacy over and over my prescription costs have eventually come down but I have no idea how/why.

A few random bits of info, HTH
Anneliese

[nickiware]

you will have to pay for every appointment, not sure if it is cheaper if you have PR, free for under 6's then you pay a prescription charge as well for any drugs etc

[JandM]

Make sure they know you're a resident/on a x years' work permit (whichever applies), as the costs for visiting a GP are cheaper (the same as for a Kiwi) for those categories of people, than for someone who's a visitor.

[Familyofmonkeys]

you will have to pay for every appointment, not sure if it is cheaper if you have PR, free for under 6's then you pay a prescription charge as well for any drugs etc

Some places still charge a small fee for under 6's. Our local surgery charges $20 so we are still registered with a surgery 20 minutes drive away as it is significantly cheaper for adults as well.

[Tara Sage]

Also Doctors appointments for injuries resulting from an accident are subsidised by the ACC...

I even had an infected insect bite where my whole had was swollen this was also susidised by ACC...

[Familyofmonkeys]

Also Doctors appointments for injuries resulting from an accident are subsidised by the ACC...

I even had an infected insect bite where my whole had was swollen this was also susidised by ACC...

But again some Dr's will charge an excess above and beyond this for a consultation if the ACC subsidy they get does not cover their standard consultation fee. This happens alot with the out of hours fees too. However any treatment they provide apart from the actual consultation is free.

[pamg9]

There is reference to private health cover - is this something that most people take out? What advantages do you have if you have private cover?

[Wooly_Cow]

Got to say, we used the health sytem for the first real time last week (OH had a badly sprained ankle which we thought was broken) ....it was excellent. Doctors appoitnment inside a couple of hours, referal to the Out of Hours clinic for an xray straight away. Xray took minutes (and was clear -thank goodness).

The whole thing cost under $80 including painkillers at $3! (ACC covered most of the costs)....and we are getting 60% back through Marram.

We've dealt with the NHS in the UK which I have to say was good too but glad to report it's equally good here.

[Kiwi Mac]

I have used the health service quite severely.

I had open heart surgery in Wellington even when I was here on a Visitor Permit!! :uhoh

The NZNHS works very well for normal stuff and emergencies. The main advantage of private cover is that if you have something non-serious or elective (for example, a hernia or something like that) you can choose when to get it fixed (no waiting list) and in which hospital.

The private hospitals have much nicer accommodation and food etc. but the surgeons usually work in both sectors so no difference there. Some employers offer subsidised cover but not many. That sort of benefit is not as common here as it is in the UK.

Prescription charges reduce if you are on regular meds and have more than about on thing a month per year - once you exceed the threshold, the cost falls to $3 per item.

[James 1077]

free for under 6's

I wish! We pay $10 for our 2 year olds to see the doctor. Something like $60 for adults I think (we don't go all that often).

[Familyofmonkeys]

Prescription charges reduce if you are on regular meds and have more than about on thing a month per year - once you exceed the threshold, the cost falls to $3 per item.

How does this work then? I'm asthmatic so get inhalers every month. I don't stick to one particular pharmacy, and i've never paid more than $3, even from the beginning.

[frootbat]

How does this work then? I'm asthmatic so get inhalers every month. I don't stick to one particular pharmacy, and i've never paid more than $3, even from the beginning.

Not sure about that, but from my own experience 'subsidised' meds cost $3 per prescription, whereas non-subsidised are considerably more.

I pay $47 for a GP appointment, on the North Shore.

I've been told that a work permit of more than 2 years gets me treated for the same price as a resident.

When I needed an OP appointment I could have had a private one pretty much immediately for $100, as it's not urgent I went for the 'public' one, for free, but for which I'm still waiting 2.5 months later.

That's about it for me so far healthwise. I know there are private health insurance schemes available but haven't looked into any.

[Kiwi Mac]

How does this work then? I'm asthmatic so get inhalers every month. I don't stick to one particular pharmacy, and i've never paid more than $3, even from the beginning.

"What is a Pharmaceutical Subsidy Card (PSC)?

The PSC is also known as a Safety Net Card, Prescription Subsidy Card, Exemption Card or Discount Card. It allows the cardholder and named family members to pay a lower amount on government prescription charges. There is no income testing. The purpose of the card is to help people who face high prescription costs but who do not have a CSC or a HUHC.

What do I get from a PSC?

In the case of a family with a CSC and a PSC, there will be no further $3 prescription charges for the rest of the year starting from the date when the PSC is issued and until the following 31 January. For all other families (with or without a HUHC) the prescription charge is reduced by $13 per item (that is: instead of paying $15 per item the charge is now $2).

The card does not cover herbal remedies, supplements that are not classified as medicines, or medicines that you can buy over the counter (that is, without needing a prescription).

Who is entitled to a PSC?

Any member of a family unit, usually the primary caregiver, will hold the PSC.

A family unit can mean:
A married (or de facto) couple, with one or more dependent children or
A married (or de facto) couple, with no dependent children or
One person with or without children

Where and how can I get a PSC?

As a service, your pharmacist will automatically keep a prescription count for you. If your partner or children have different names, you should make sure the pharmacist knows when a family member picks up a prescription. Your pharmacist will issue a PSC once a family unit has paid for 20 subsidised prescription items since l February of any year.
If you go to a different pharmacy from your usual pharmacy keep your receipts and show them to your usual chemist so they can add them to your PSC record.

If you don't have a usual pharmacy keep all your receipts for prescriptions for your family. When you get to 20 items, take them into a pharmacy and ask them for a card.

Does it cost me anything to get a PSC?

Pharmacies do not charge for this service. "

[Kanga]

Don't forget the Community Services Card is also available to families working and on a "low to middle" income. We used to qualify for this but no longer do- but often people don't seem to know about it.

http://www.workandincome.govt.nz/documents/community-services-card-alla0005.pdf

Roughly though a family of four would qualify with an income under about $60K and a family of five would qualify with an income under about $68K. Well worth investigating.


A Community Services Card can help you and
your family with the costs of healthcare. You’ll
pay less for some health services – simply by
showing your card.
The Community Services Card reduces the cost of:
• prescriptions if you don’t belong to a
PHO (Primary Health Organisation)
• after hours doctor visits
• visits to a doctor who is not your
regular doctor
• glasses for children under 16 years
• emergency dental care* provided by
hospitals and approved dental contractors
(ask the dental provider if they are an
approved contractor)
• travel and accommodation for treatment at
a public hospital outside your area when
you have been referred (at least 80km away
for adults and 25km for children)
• home help.
* Subsidy not available if costs can be covered by other
assistance from Work and Income.

[teamplayer2003]

If you are looking to get medical insurance then PM me.

But if you can afford it you should have it. Especially for non Pharmac funded drugs. IE Cancer drugs there are only so many availalbe which are Pharmac (Government) funded and many of the medical insurance companys dont cover these drugs.

But from my personal experiance, I had a SLAP tear in my shoulder, which means throwing and rock climbing and surfing were very painful to complete but day to day life was not effected so it would be be opperated on on the national scheme without a fight and a very long weight. However on my medial insurance I had the operation withing 2 weeks. Like I said if you can afford it you owe it to yourself.

Tim