HealthInfo Waitaha Canterbury
Financial support for health costs
Tautoko ā-pūtea mō ngā utunga hauora
Most people on low incomes with long-term health conditions (that last longer than 6 months) can apply for financial help. This is to cover or partially cover general practice fees and other health-related costs.
Tamariki (children) and adults with disabilities can apply for disability allowances. There are also other options for specific health conditions.
This online guide from the Ministry of Social Development helps you work out what financial help you might be entitled to.
The following sections provide information about sources of financial support for health costs.
Funding schemes at your general practice
If you struggle to meet your health costs, talk to your general practice team. There is sometimes extra funding available. Your general practice team may be able to use this to reduce the cost of your health care. This is especially likely if you have health conditions that mean you need regular care from your general practice team.
People with a Community Services Card and their dependants aged 14 to 17 who are enrolled with a general practice pay less for their visits to see a doctor or nurse.
Tamariki under 14 who are enrolled with a general practice are not charged a fee for visits to most general practices. See Zero fees for under-14s for more information.
Disability Allowance
If you have a disability that is likely to last for at least 6 months, you may be eligible for a disability allowance. This is a means-tested Work and Income (WINZ) benefit. It can help to pay for a wide range of health-related costs, including general practice team fees.
Work and Income may also provide funding for other treatment, such as physiotherapy and counselling. They will provide this funding if they believe the treatment is related to your disability.
To be eligible, your weekly income must be below a threshold. The threshold depends on several things, including whether you have a partner or tamariki.
You can apply for a disability allowance on behalf of a tamaiti (child) if they are 18 or under and financially dependent on you. You may be able to get both the Disability Allowance and the Child Disability Allowance for the same tamaiti.
For more information, see Disability Allowance on the Work and Income website.
Child Disability Allowance
The Child Disability Allowance is a fortnightly payment made to the main carer of a tamaiti or rangatahi (young person) with a serious disability. It is paid in recognition of the extra care and attention that the tamaiti needs.
You may get a Child Disability Allowance if your tamaiti needs constant care and attention for at least 12 months because of a serious disability. You and your tamaiti also have to meet other criteria.
You may be able to get both the Disability Allowance and the Child Disability Allowance for the same tamaiti.
For more information, see Child Disability Allowance on the Work and Income website.
Carer Support
If you provide more than 4 hours of unpaid care per day to a disabled person, you may be eligible for Carer Support.
Carer Support is a subsidy that helps you take some time out for yourself. It reimburses some of the costs of using a support person to care and support a disabled person while you have a break.
For more information, see Carer Support on the Ministry of Health website.
Prescription subsidy scheme
Most prescribed medicines are subsidised by the Government, so you only pay a small part of the cost. This is normally $5 but you may have to pay more for some medicines that are not fully subsidised. You also have to pay a higher co-payment for prescriptions from specialists and non-publicly funded prescribers.
There is no charge for prescriptions for children aged 13 and under, people aged 65 or older and Community Services Card holders. Some pharmacies do not charge anyone the part cost.
The Prescription subsidy scheme means you and your whānau (family) do not need to pay these prescription changes once you have paid for 20 items each year. Tell your pharmacist the names of all the people in your whānau (family) who are getting prescriptions so they can keep track of how many prescriptions you pay for.
Transport and parking
Mobility parking permits
If you have a medical condition that affects your mobility, you may be eligible for a mobility parking permit. See Mobility Parking for information about the eligibility criteria for a mobility parking permit and how to apply for and renew a permit.
Total Mobility scheme
The Total Mobility discounted taxi fare scheme provides a discount of usually 50% off the normal taxi fare. You will need a recent photo to apply for a card. There is also an administration charge for processing the card and an annual fee.
St John Health Shuttle
St John offers a Health Shuttle service that can take you to essential medical and health-related appointments and bring you home again. It is available between Ashburton and Christchurch and Amberley and Christchurch.
National Travel Assistance Scheme
The National Travel Assistance Scheme may help pay for some travel costs if you are referred by your specialist to see another specialist at a different location.
If you are eligible, you may get financial help towards your travel and accommodation costs. Your specialist will need to approve your accommodation and specialised transport needs.
You may be eligible for travel assistance if you can answer yes to any of the following:
- Do you travel more than 80 km one way per visit (for a tamaiti) or 350 km one way per visit (for an adult)?
- Do you visit a specialist 22 or more times in two months?
- Do you visit a specialist 6 or more times in 6 months and travel more than 25 km one way per visit (for a tamaiti) or 50 km one way per visit (for an adult)?
- Are you a Community Services Card holder and travel more than 25 km one way per visit (for a tamaiti) or 80 km one way per visit (for an adult)?
For more information about eligibility, see Who can get travel assistance.
Other sources
New Zealand Veterans' Affairs may be able to help with the cost of treatment and rehabilitation for specific medical conditions due to service.
The Ministry of Health provides a range of subsidies, but many of these are paid to the supplier of the service or prosthesis.
You can find information about free or subsidised services for specific conditions in the sections about those conditions on this website.
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed September 2024.
SourcesReview key: HISNY-105442
