Most health services are publicly funded for eligible individuals. Government funding of health and disability services means that eligible people may receive free inpatient and outpatient public hospital services, subsidies on prescription items and a range of support services for people with disabilities in the community.

The Government recommends that people who are not eligible for publicly funded services, or those who only have cover under the Reciprocal health agreements with Australia and the United Kingdom, also have health insurance, because the reciprocal agreements only cover immediate and necessary treatment on the same basis as New Zealanders. Visits to a general practitioner, non-urgent or discretionary services, rehabilitation, and repatriation are not funded within the reciprocal agreement (New Zealand Government, n.d.). As noted previously, about one third of the population has private health insurance. There is no data on how many non-eligible residents do not have health insurance.

References:

New Zealand Government. (n.d.). Getting publicly funded health services. New Zealand Government website. Available from: https://www.govt.nz/browse/health/public-health-services/getting-publicly-funded-health-services/.