Labour’s universal healthcare programme is set to deliver tangible benefits for Māori.
Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says the Medicard initiative was designed with recommendations from the Waitangi Tribunal Health Claim in mind.
The scheme guarantees every New Zealander three free GP visits, with Māori potentially receiving more.
Iwi health providers and other Māori organisations will also be able to charge independently for services – addressing long-standing concerns about underfunding.
“Māori are 39% more likely to be missing out of care right now than anyone else. So Māori will benefit from universal access to three free GP visits, and potentially more. The other point I want to make is part of this announcement is independent pricing for general practices, including iwi and other Māori organizations that run general practice. I know that those practices have struggled to have the true cost of looking after their populations recognised, and that that’s been one of the findings of the Waitangi Tribunal reports on this,” says Verrall.
The programme will be funded by Labour’s proposed $700 million annual capital gains tax.
