Health

  • Doctors, dentists and prescriptions

    • Find a doctor

      Doctors and practice nurses work in a general practice (medical centre). Find a medical centre to enrol with.

    • Paying for visits to doctors

      Ask your doctors’ practice or medical centre how much they charge for doctor visits. Children, and some people who need to visit their doctor often, can get free or cheaper visits.

    • Seeing a specialist

      A specialist is a medical practitioner who is trained in a specific field of medicine. You usually need to visit your general practitioner (doctor) first for a referral to a specialist.

    • Prescription charges

      You pay a contribution to the cost of the medicines prescribed by your doctor — currently this is $5 for most items. If your medicine is not fully subsidised, you might have to pay more.

    • Prescription subsidy scheme

      If you’ve paid for 20 prescriptions in a year (from 1 February), you do not have to pay any more prescription charges for the rest of that year (to 31 January).

    • Government help with dental costs

      Basic dental services are free until you’re 18. If you need dental care after 18, and you’re on a low income or have a disability, illness or injury, you can apply for government help.

  • Free health services for children

  • Help in your home

    • Get a needs assessment

      You must have a needs assessment if you want to get government-funded home help. Find out if you qualify and the support services you might get.

    • Where to start — when you need home help

      You may qualify for home help if day-to-day tasks are hard due to an ongoing illness, injury, age-related health problems or you’re a disabled person.

    • Your care plan after a needs assessment

      You’ll get a care plan after your needs assessment. This plan describes the home support services and equipment you’ve been assessed as needing, who’ll provide these and when they’ll start.

    • Maintaining your house and garden

      You may qualify for help with cleaning your home, doing the laundry, buying essential appliances, mowing the lawn, weeding the garden and getting essential home maintenance tasks done. Find out how to get these home support services and if you qualify.

    • Home modifications

      Improving safety in your home by widening doorways and installing handrails, shower rails, or a ramp, can help you manage more easily if you have an ongoing illness, injury, age-related health problem or you’re a disabled person.

    • Cooking and meals

      Get help with cooking, preparing meals, meal delivery options, food shopping and diet advice — if you need help with day-to-day tasks due to ongoing illness, injury, age-related health problems or you’re a disabled person.

    • Help with day-to-day personal care

      Help from a carer and assistive equipment could make tasks such as showering, dressing and using a toilet much safer for you. Find out what government help you may qualify for.

    • Nursing and medical help at home

      A nurse or other health professional may visit you at home to help with your medications and medical needs. Learn more about these services and if you qualify.

    • Paying for heating

      Apply for help with the costs of heating your home, or check advice for keeping those expenses down.

    • Personal medical alarms

      Apply for government help to pay for a monitored medical alarm service if you have an ongoing illness, an injury, age-related health problems or if you’re a disabled person.

    • Complain about home help and support services

      Find out what to do and who to contact if you have a concern or complaint about your home support services.

  • Financial help and services

    • Community Services Card

      Work and Income supply the Community Services Card (CSC) on behalf of the Ministry of Health to help lower healthcare costs.

    • Financial help for people with a disability or illness

      If you have a disability or illness you might be able to get an allowance, subsidy or loan to help with your expenses. Financial assistance is available for all citizens.

    • Disability Allowance

      The Disability Allowance is a weekly payment from Work and Income for people who have regular, ongoing costs because of a disability.

    • Government help with healthcare if you’re over 65

      If you get NZ Super or a Veteran’s Pension, and you have a disability or health concern, you can apply for financial help or use services provided by the government to meet your health needs.

    • Lottery grants for disabled people

      Grants funded by Lotto help to pay for equipment for disabled people who want to be more closely involved in their communities.

    • High Use Health Card

      If you visit your doctor more than 12 times in a year, talk to your doctor about the High Use Health Card to lower the cost of the visits.

    • Total Mobility scheme

      The Total Mobility scheme provides subsidised door-to-door taxi services for people who cannot use public transport due to a disability. It’s funded in partnership by local and central government.

  • Rest homes and residential care

    • Where to start when thinking about residential care

      If you’re looking to move into a rest home or hospital you have some big decisions to make. Find out what you first need to think about and do.

    • Types of residential care

      There are 4 types of full-time residential care. Providers sometimes offer more than one type of care within the same property.

    • Who can move into residential care

      When you can no longer manage in your own home, you can move into a rest home or hospital. Talk to your doctor or other health professionals about the level of care you need.

    • Choose your residential care

      You choose the rest home or hospital that you want to move to and can afford.

    • Paying for residential care

      You’re responsible for paying for your own residential care but you may qualify for government help. Read about the financial support that’s available and how to find out about the costs.

    • Services offered in residential care

      The services offered by residential care providers can vary. They must tell you about the services they offer and be clear about which ones you must pay extra for.

    • Moving into residential care

      Learn about moving into a rest home or hospital. Find out what to do when you need to move in urgently or need to transfer to another care facility.

    • Make a complaint about residential care

      There are different steps to take depending on your complaint, but tell the manager of the rest home or hospital first — they may be able to fix the problem.

    • Help for partners staying at home

      If your partner moves into a rest home or hospital, you can get financial help to stay in your home, look after your own health and visit your partner.

  • Caring for someone with a health condition, injury or illness
  • Help with mental health and addiction
  • Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) for personal care and welfare

  • Public health services

  • Food safety

  • Working after 65 — ACC levies and entitlements