Some health services available for non-residents

MEDIA RELEASE

16 December 2003

Some publicly-funded health services available for non-residents

Following last week¡¦s announcement by Hawke¡¦s Bay District Health Board regarding non-New Zealand residents being charged for hospital treatment, chief executive officer Chris Clarke, said he wanted to stress that there are some exceptions to the rule.

¡§For example, anyone who has an accident in New Zealand, regardless of their residency status, is eligible for publicly-funded healthcare, under the Accident Compensation Corporation legislation,¡¨ he said. Other exceptions include:

„X People who are required to receive treatment for communicable diseases such as tuberculosis are entitled to receive publicly-funded health care.

„X People who are committed under the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992 and the Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Act 1966 are eligible to receive publicly-funded care.

„X People who have refugee status, and non-resident prison inmates are entitled to receive publicly-funded health care.

¡§I would like to stress that anyone presenting to Hawke¡¦s Bay Hospital¡¦s emergency department would receive treatment, regardless of their eligibility status,¡¨ he said. ¡§The matter of eligibility status and eventually payment would be worked through after they have received emergency care,¡¨ Chris Clarke said.

Full details of the Ministry of Health¡¦s Guide to Eligibility for Publicly Funded Health and Disability Services in NZ is available online at http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf

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