Taking the Burden Off Our Health Care System

new-zealand-first-party

Thu Aug 13 2015 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Taking the Burden Off Our Health Care System

Thursday, 13 August 2015, 4:27 pm
Press Release: New Zealand First Party

13 AUGUST 2015

Immigrants coming to New Zealand will be required to have private health insurance for 10 years, under a New Zealand First Bill drawn from the Members’ Bill Ballot today.

“National’s open slather immigration for the past six years has brought thousands of people to New Zealand under the parent reunion category contributing to the burden on our health care system,” says New Zealand First Health Spokesperson Barbara Stewart.

“Parent reunion immigrants would be required to maintain health insurance for their first 10 years of residency. Currently, there are no health insurance requirements under this visa category whereas many other countries require health insurance for people retiring there.

“The public health system is under increasing pressure with massive shortfalls in funding. Record immigration is contributing to the growing health debt, longer waiting lists and rationing of services. This is a very timely Bill.

“Our Affordable Healthcare Bill aims to support the public health system by also encouraging Kiwis who can afford it, to contribute to their own healthcare costs,” says Mrs Stewart.

“The Bill also gives a 25 per cent rebate on average health insurance premiums to SuperGold cardholders. Making health insurance more affordable for SuperGold cardholders is good news for seniors.

“It also abolishes fringe benefit tax (FBT) on the employer health insurance provision which will encourage more employers to invest in the health of their workforce.

“We look forward to receiving cross-party support for this Bill,” says Mrs Stewart.

ENDS

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

a.supporter:hover {background:#EC4438!important;} @media screen and (max-width: 480px) { #byline-block div.byline-block {padding-right:16px;}}

Using Scoop for work?

Scoop is free for personal use, but you’ll need a licence for work use. This is part of our Ethical Paywall and how we fund Scoop. Join today with plans starting from less than $3 per week, plus gain access to exclusive Pro features.

Join Pro Individual Find out more

Find more from New Zealand First Party on InfoPages.