Aussie here, I just had a visit to the doctors the other day... Consultation, blood tests, x-rays and it cost me $12... Because I had to pay for parking. This socialised healthcare system is a nightmare!
Socialism, monarchism, socialized medicine will eventually collapse!… They are not just inferior in quality but the lack of tax payers money coupled with the increasing waiting time will lead to major disruptions!
@@BeckyPoleninja Yes, the technology & equipment are older and lower quality and the doctors and nurses are not as good. Not only that, I watch Channel 7, 9, Australian ABC, A Current Affair, The HUB, New Zealand One, etc on CZcams and I can see what a mess tax payer funded socialist healthcare system is!… It’s barely hanging on now and it will surely collapse if there is another pandemic or something close to that!
Hi there, I'm glad that the system worked out for you. The Wellington Free Ambulance service is a charity, so if you want to and you can afford it, setting up a small regular donation is a lovely thing to do.
Hi Tara. I had a GP phone consult and a blood test, yesterday. Was all free, including the car parking. 🙄 The conditions we have to live under. Outrageous.
To me as a 🥝.. the best part of our universal healthcare.., is not how I am looked after…, it is.. that I go to bed tonight as a 🥝.. with the firm n absolute knowledge that any mother… an child.. anyone one.. period.. can get 1st world medical care 24/7 with no concerns as to whether they can have it/ are allowed. This I believe is the most/ damn near only.. important part of our having universal healthcare.. Not whether it’s nice / flash for you or me/ our empowered families/ how compares to other systems.. It is a corner stone of our being a nation .. together equal/ social equity .. We do not want a nation that’s divided / them n us.. anymore than can be easily help…
@@Kiwiamericans All good.., really just interested in the “take” perspective… / view of of our socialised/ universal healthcare …by people who are not used to it/ idea of… I hear so many speak to how it affects them .. positive/ negative… But I assert .. this is missing the point.. and brings forth uninformed understanding of/ conversation around it …. Those from lesser capitalist/ wealthy.., probably get the idea very quickly.., but aren’t used to the luxury..as such.. But I can imagine.. that for those coming from cultures of extreme capitalism.. it’s easy to look at it from what’s in it for me/ what does it cost/ am I getting a good deal here.. Anyway we very lucky in NZ
My son needed to be flown from Napier to wellington for emergency treatment. He was a roughly a year old. Not only was all of his treatment covered the entire experience was covered. The flights our stay (5 days thanks Ronald McDonald house) and social services (M.S.D.) Lent me enough money to cover bills while I wasn't working.
For this very reason, every year I donate $200 to the Health Flight and Wellington free ambulance. Having used the ambulance service a few times years ago in Auckland where it cost a tonne, then I came back to Wellington and found out we have the only free ambulance service in the country, and I believe in the services these places provide. So, now I donate what I can afford every year. No regrets. I hope your boy is good, now.🙂
American here 👋 I'm commenting this before the video premieres, so I'm not sure of the exact points that will be made, but I just thought I'd give my experience for any non-Americans. I haven't seen a doctor of any kind - dermatologist, dentist, optometrist, primary care, etc. - in over 4 years. I earn "too much" money to qualify for my state Medicaid program, but if I took out private insurance then I couldn't afford my other expenses (car insurance is extremely high because my home state of Louisiana is so corrupt!), so I just go without for right now 🤷🏻♂️ I'm a reasonably healthy 22 year old male with no allergies or major diseases, so I gambled on roughing it out these last few years to save some money. I've been wearing the same eyeglass prescription since 2018. I'm fortunate they haven't cracked or broken yet, because if they did I'd be screwed 🤷🏻♂️ would have to pay OOP ("Out Of Pocket") for a new pair which would cost a couple hundred dollars. basically I've been living completely uninsured since becoming a legal adult 🤷🏻♂️ I'm moving to a new state (30 hour drive northeast!) that ranks better for access of healthcare than my current state, so I'm gonna apply for private insurance next year. The cost is noticably cheaper where I'm headed. I'd like to start regular doctor visits in about a year, haven't even had a basic checkup in years. I'm very fortunate I don't suffer from any chronic conditions like diabetes or asthma. I'd be screwed 🤷🏻♂️ other countries' universal healthcare systems aren't perfect, but nothing in life will ever be perfect. I do think that for whatever faults this video and others like it mention, the pros outweigh the cons. I can't believe the USA doesn't consider healthcare a human right. Looking around the world, even to our friendly neighbors in Canada, you all seemed to have grasped this concept decades ago. It's just so discouraging to live in this kind of system. Healthcare is a big reason I aspire to live in another country some day. I'm working on education and building work experience all of my 20s so I can seem appealing to immigration officials in other countries, hoping to be out in my late 20s/early 30s 🤞
@@markvegar1442 I am a New zealander and lived in Australia for 38.5yrs I have the experience of knowing what I'm talking about. I was not being rude. Your comment makes no sense.
Recently I had what turned out to be an attack of extreme vertigo (unable to walk without nearly falling and very dizzy and disoriented). I made it to my bed and my wife who was very worried due to my age called for an ambulance. While waiting for the ambulance, which had been dispatched, the nurse kept her on the line monitoring my condition through her observations. When the balance arrived at our rural home, in less time than I would normally be able to get to the hospital myself, two paramedics came in and carried out a range of tests including an ECG. When they were satisfied that I was in no danger and my symptoms were diminishing they gave me an injection to facilitate my recovery and when we were both ok with the situation returned to their base. The total cost for this was NZ $90 for the call out, two paramedics, medication, ECG etc. We now have joined the local ambulance scheme for NZ $75 annually which gives us full cover for free ambulance service for the year for the two of us.
I hope your daughter's recovers well from her knee op! My experience, as a kiwi, was a bit different. So my son has had a number of surgeries, starting from when he was a baby. He was diagnosed with Pyloric Stenosis at six weeks old: I had taken him to the GP a bunch of times and they'd tried various remedies to his power vomiting and they hadn't worked. Last visit they said, go to the ED. So I went to the Hutt Hospital ED and was seen straight away (GP had called ahead), they did tests and diagnosed him and then we were transferred to Wellington Hospital for surgery (Hutt didn't have a paediatric surgical unit). After that, he was better but then during the outpatient process they noticed one of his testes was undescended, so they put him on the surgical roster to have that fixed. He got that fixed but then it went up again, so he was referred back to surgery again. That one stuck. After that, I thought, cool we're all good again. Normal life, please! But, when he was about 4 1/2, I was in Aussie for a few weeks and my parents noticed while I was gone that his hearing wasn't what it should be (I thought he could hear but was ignoring me!). They took him to the GP and he was referred straight away to a specialist at Hutt. I never had to make any arrangements, the letter for the appointment arrived in the mail shortly after I got back from Aus. Since then, he's had heaps of surgeries to correct his hearing. He's still under that specialist and it's been six years. Yes there are months long wait times, but I'd far rather that than having to pay for health insurance or pay for the care outright. I don't think I even want to know how much all of that would have cost in the US. I didn't pay a cent, apart from parking at the hospital (and even that was sometimes compted by the hospital)
I am from Europe and I am considering moving to New Zealand. One of the reasons is that New Zealand was so famously a country with a well graded healthcare system, but to be fair this healthcare system reminds me of the NHS, which even though it is technically free, most Europeans do not consider it as a free one. I live in Greece where we have a very convoluted healthcare system in which everything is free but also messy. For your case though a single visit to the emergency GP would be enough for him to do all the necessary tests and eventually in the same day get him into an emergency surgery. Also they usually do a general check up on babies regardless if they have any issue for prevention purposes, meaning that his hearing would actually be possibly discovered right there. The surgery would take place within a 6 month period. All of the above at the cost of a single digit amount (in € though). In Norway and Finland the situation was even more surreal, but in Greece they will also take you seriously even if you had a slight fever and headache.
I'm just glad it's free. I googled how much my monthly treatment would cost in the USA and it was $8500 per dose 💀 then adding the specialist visits, regular MRI scans, physio, monthly blood tests. Etc on top 🙈 I would probably be bankrupt if I lived in the USA 😅 have not paid a cent here
@@CAWN_G someone doesn't pay,everyone shares the cost via ACC xand tax payments. We in NZ believe that a country where everybody is cared for gives everyone a chance to reach their full potential. The "I'm not sick, I shouldn't have to care about anyone who is " attitude seems sick to me,and to most countries with a public health system.
Canadian here putting in my 2 cents, I know you are complaining about the time frame but COVID is still an issue so hospitals have major challenges right now.
Our daughter have been living in NZ for about twenty years , she had our grandson through a C section and had other minor surgical procedures and no payments . Yes for selective surgeries you have to wait . We had use the A&E a few times when we visit and even paying the regular fee is a lot cheaper than here in the states , same goes for medications . Like everything there are things that can improve but no complains here , lol.
Kiwis can get a referral through their GP to see a specialist either funded through ACC if its an accident or if not an accident then funded through the Public Health /DHB system and depending on what your condition is will be how it is escalated on a wait list if you start to have problems you tell your GP .So things like for example Orthopaedics was a 4 months wait to see Specialist and 4 months to surgery especially during covid 2021 -2022 when all Specialist (who work in both the private and public hospital system) were on standby for urgent life threatening surgery only. So trying to jump a queue then using Private insurance to see a Specialist would not have gained much then but that is your option or you can jump a queue and pay for the Specialist appointment yourself but you must have a referral from a GP first to see any Specialist. If you are in an acute /critical condition and advised to go to ED or go by your own volition or go by ambulance at the public hospital the wait time depends on the triage nurses assessment or medic and Registrar Doctors on duty who refer you to a Specialist. You could be seen straight away by a Specialist ,sent to ICU or a ward or see a Specialist the next day or sent home to wait for an appointment it depends on your acuity.Everything in NZ health system is about priority of CARE e.g.if there is a bad car accident then accident victims would be prioritised for surgery if life threatening and elective surgery postponed. Private hospitals in NZ also provide Public health/DHB operations when contracted out to them so you may need a triple bypass heart surgery and be sent to a Private hospital for example like the Mercy Hospital in Auckland if you live in an area that only has a secondary level hospital like Gisborne or Tauranga hospital that does not do tertiary level care that Waikato or Greenlane, or Auckland hospital does.If its life threatening you will be stabilised and flown in an air ambulance with nurse to the tertiary level hospital and specialist and level of care you need otherwise if less acute a road ambulance accompanied by a nurse. Private hospitals do not have ED treatment and if your surgery or care requires top surgeons medical physicians and health science professors you will be looked after with travel costs, an apartment to live in if on standby waiting for an organ transplant for example and supported after surgery to live in transplant house in an apartment near the hospital until you can be sent home. Its all paid for by every single tax payer in NZ because we CARE about our people.
first mistake, changing specialist. second mistake , thinking a 30 minute drive is too long. in oz thats around the corner. 3rd public health care involves waiting times.
Hello there! Finally we got to watch the video, thanks for that and the many informative videos you've allowed us to watch. I hope your daughter makes a full recovery as soon as! Hearing about the 'enn-zed' (NZ) healthcare system (and others like 🇨🇦, 🇦🇺), makes ones stress levels regarding the 🇺🇸 healthcare system increase. The most enchanting thing about your videos is the NZ 'highlights' on your accent, especially as you pause or end yor sentences. I listened so keenly to your daughter, but she hasn't got that yet. Looking fwd to the next.
It isn’t correct to say it didn’t cost you anything. The health system is funded from taxation. That’s the choice NZ and most other countries in the world make. They prioritise the health of their population above other spending priorities. Also, I think ACC is available to visitors to the country as well.
She was referring to her out of pocket costs..and she has mentioned in her previous videos that ACC is available to all visitors, in those videos she did mention that the ACC was funded through taxes...
even taking the taxation thing out it still isn't free. Go to a dentist and then tell me nz health care is free. Also it costs to go to a GP... and I have a community service card.... it's not free. subsidized yes.... free? no.
@@boomertuxx I quite agree. I live in New Zealand I know what things cost. I was just commenting on the comment in the video that it was free to visit A&E. It’s “free” in relation to the US.
@@nahinetchannel654 I wasn’t solely referring to ACC I was referring to emergency care/healthcare in general. I appreciate there are co payments for GP, dentists visits etc but visits for emergency care are free.The point I was making was that unlike the US you can access treatment free at the point of use without anyone asking for your insurance details. I hope it didn’t come over as critical as that was never my intention. I live on New Zealand and I’ve lived in the UK so I understand how universal healthcare works.
Visitors should take out health insurance and ACC needs to stop paying for visitors who get injured here. New Zealanders shouldn't have to pay for this.
Hi Tara! Luckily I have never had a bad hospital experience over 60 years. Approx 5 years ago I had a retinal detachment needing reasonably urgent surgery. They had me booked in a couple of days later. No issues. 6 months later a cataract formed which is pretty normal so more surgery. A year later , same again in the other eye. 4 surgeries in total. 3 at Christchurch public and one they sent me private as the waiting list was too long at public. Nothing to pay, Great care and follow up checks. Hope all continues to go well with your daughter's injury.
I'm glad to hear you had an ok experience. I'm a New Yorker, been in Wellington for 2.5 yrs. I've had nothing but negative experiences in Wellington and Lower Hutt Hospitals. #1 My son injured his finger, the ER Dr just looked at it and said it looked "fine". The Dr proceeded to wrap a bandage around my son's finger. My son yelled out in pain. The Dr then decided we "might need" an x-ray. The xray revealed that it was indeed broken, but it took 2 weeks to get those results. I had to speak to them very firmly and hold back tears of frustration for them to give me, his mother, the results of his xray. #2 My husband developed intense chest pain and went to the ER. He was diagnosed with "might be, looks like, possibly" pericarditis. When he followed up with his GP, and requested a referral for a cardiologist, his GP said, "Nope". The GP didn't think it was at all necessary. Meanwhile, my husband had chest pain, and tachycardia. He couldn't sleep due to his heart beating so rapidly and loudly, and couldn't run around with our kids due to the pain. My husband wrote to the Ministry of Health to plead for a cardiologist appointment, and to report what his GP had told him. The Ministry of Health said that the decision was entirely up to the GP. They also wrote his GP and told him to grant my husband a referral to a cardiologist. The GP seemed to be annoyed at that, and wrote my husband a very rude email. He stated that if my husband had gone back for a second appointment and asked for a cardiologist referral, he would have granted it. Does this make sense to anyone?? It seems like doctors here love to waste patients' time and taxpayers' money. #3 Not my experience, but extended family's: One relative recently lost an ovary unnecessarily. The hospital only did an ultrasound to diagnose her, when they should have done an MRI. They missed the actual cause of her pain, and removed an ovary unnecessarily. They've since apologized for this error. #4 Another relative went to the GP because they had fainted and had abdominal pain. The GP ordered blood work and results showed that they were severely anemic. The GP prescribed iron pills and the patient was told to eat more meat. The patient went back to the GP every month for 6 months. They were not feeling any better, and had asked if they should see a "specialist". It took the GP six months to eventually refer this patient to a gastro. The gastroenterologist happened to be American. He had the patient come in immediately and gave them a capsule camera to find the bleed that was causing this severe anemia. They found it. This relative was riddled with cancer. We've since lost this precious family member. Every now and then we can't help but wonder "what if" What if the GP had referred them to a specialist a little sooner instead of telling them to eat more meat at every visit for 6 months.
I also wanted to add, some of my extended family here just put up with awful healthcare because they think it's "free", some of them just don't know any better. My husband, who is a kiwi, but lived in NYC for 15 years is absolutely horrified at the experiences we've had here. The level of healthcare he's received here is unacceptable, period. Also, can people please share some bad experiences they've had in the US? I've had insurance my whole life. I've never met an American that didn't. In my experience, it was always affordable, and I've never had a bill over $40. This includes multiple hospital births with midwives, broken bones, and emergency trauma injuries. I'm from NYC, maybe the insurance policies there are cheap? I understand cost might be state specific. Thanks!
The most cost effective healthcare system is in Germany. The least cost effective is the USA. Americans are being fucked up the arse by insurance companies and they turn around and say " Thank you for fucking me up the arse". NZ public healthcare used to be first class. But since economic reforms post-1984(neoliberalism, from the USA, thank you Milton Friedman) ) it has turned to shit. Rare to get a New Zealand doctor or nurse. These days they are from India, the Philippines, or, if you are lucky, South Africa. New Zealand medicos move to Australia for better pay and conditions. The National Party likes to bribe voters with promises of tax cuts. They do not say they will do it by under funding healthcare, education and roads.
We pay $1600 a month with a $2000 deductible after you pay your copay you get nickled and dimed by who ever got to look at your case a simple doctor visit can cost you hundreds of dollar with different bills coming in from various depts till your've paid them all off . Because we have employer based insurance offered to us we can't get obamacare which would be better .We live in Virginia $40 is unheard of unless you have a great employer most people don't.Over here there is a doctor shortage so you might have to wait months to see a specialist depending on who your insurance is through .Some doctors are great a lot aren't there always seems to be a time limit on your visit so you generally leave feeling unsatisfied and once the bills start rolling in ripped off. @@jaclynbannister1877
Hi. I am a Kiwi who moved to Australia in 1982..Then Queensland had free hospital s already I do not think that was universal at that time. In February 2020 while visiting Picton I fell and broke my left wrist. After being seen by a great local ambulance crew I was transfered to Blenheim hospital emergency where I was given treatment and a cast. They found my existing ACC number still in the system after all that time. As it was mid evening when I tripped on a Saturday of a festival weekend I had expected a long wait when in fact I was the only one in the ward for most of the time. Excellent treatment.
Yeah, I dislocated my ankle and fractured it in 3 places, 6 days in hospital waiting for surgery because of so many life-threatening injuries (car accidents) coming in. ACC paid for my taxis for 5 months, and taxis for my kids to get to and from school when my husband couldn't take them, along with weekly cleaning, weekly income compensation, physio and occupational therapy. Physio is free if you get an in-home or school programme (physio comes to you), charge under med fees program.
There are private hospitals in New Zealand that are more like America if you want to pay for it. But why bother for such a short stay. Who cares? You're there for medical attention not a holiday. You chose to not go into the city for the specialist hence why you had to make so many phone calls. And yes, Covid has made many services slower. Its just the nature of the beast right now.
@hkins1 I totally agree with you, private hospitals have higher value of the medications and surgery, I hope you’re doing well and you staying healthy too?
New Zealander here from Wellington. I love your channel and I'm glad Sydney's knee is feeling "normal". From a medical perspective that's about the best outcome you could wish for! In terms of the costs. American family members I've spoken to on the subject are amazed by our "socialized medicine" which they usually say with great disdain, because they assume it means healthy taxpayers are subsidizing sick non-taxpayers which offends their inner Capitalists! Other thing is that my USA family think that a pair of crutches, or medical drugs, supplies etc actually cost what the hospital bills their insurance for. For example, they really think that having a baby costs a million dollars. that the NZ taxpayer is having to pay for. When you explain to them that it costs nothing *like* a Million $, even in the USA, that's just the inflated price the hospital tells the insurance co, the penny starts to drop...
I lost most of my eye sight from 3 botched surgeries. I was diabetic so that was the root cause. But first op the Surgeon (visiting from UK) pulled my retina out along with the membrane he was removing. A few years later similar op and something went wrong that needed another op... that resulted in good vision in my one sighted eye dropping to around 10%. Couldn't drive lost job blah blah... Asked the hospital docs if there was compensation, they said I had signed a waiver not to sue, but they did not tell me I should go talk to ACC and neither did the GP's I had. (ACC is for accidents at work or during sports, but also deep in the fine print it is for medical malpractice). I eventually applied for compensation about ten years later and got a reply that diabetics lose their vision all the time, so nada. I asked a surgeon I have to go see every 3 months for check ups how much all my treatments would cost in the States and he said, minimum of US500,000 if I was uninsured. Although I got a few poor operations... all the surgeries (close to one hundred separate lazer treatments, a bionic contact lens inserted in my sighted eye and so on, all free. All my prescriptions are virtually free... a little cost every now and then. And NZ$18 per medical center visit for diabetic check ups every 3 months. I had a stomach bleed about 4 years ago, and an Ambulance drove from Auckland's North Shore to Wellsford, about a 90 minute drive, picked me up and back to the hospital, that cost me NZ$90 (USD$60) I spent 12 days in hospital and that was all free, including the 2 surgeries I had.
Wow Paul, I am so sorry to hear about your eye surgeries! Having good vision can really effect your daily life. Interesting about ACC and not getting coverage for that!!
@@Kiwiamericans If I had something such as my legs were cut off... then ACC of course would pay for a wheelchair, ramps and house modifications and so on. But my case needed treatments which I got for free in the health system. The compensation for botched medical treatment/surgeries was a separate thing that came many years later when a new GP said I should apply to ACC. So the cost was covered by the health system and the insurance side for compensation was turned down as the medical files when the claim was made years later, only said I had diabetes and they did their best. What I can say, although my life was changed forever... I did not suffer what in America is the most common cause of bankruptcy - being medical bills.
@@paulprice1705 if a claim is declined by ACC you can sure both ACC and the hospital. ACC only prevents negligence law suits where it provides cover. But you either lying or just stupid. I find it hard to believe that some one would loss eyesight and not talk to people about it.
Why did you hesitate to go through insurance? It's supplemental in NZ so you could've gotten the initial consultation done privately and either been put on the list for private surgery or had the doctor refer back to the public list for the surgery (which they themselves may have even done, most doctors work private and public, there's no difference in the medical knowledge, just who pays for the service). Unless it wasn't covered by your insurance because it's covered by ACC?
Tsra sort of explained that due the covid lockdown private insurance visits (which remember are all elective) were stopped and then backlogged once the freeze on elective procedures was lifted. i suspect a number of the 14 calls were over issues related to both the public and private system getting back to 'normal' operation post the lockdowns.
@@user-uy6uc5ey5q I understand. I'd be interested to hear if any of the issues experienced were related to pickiness too however. The changing of the referral from Wellington to Lower Hutt is interesting as they're two different DHBs (or were before we switched to HNZ), Capital & Coast DHB and Hutt Valley DHB, so you're removing a person from one waiting list and putting them on a different list entirely. Additionally, wanting to see a specific recommended specialist rather than the first available specialist could've also contributed to the wait.
@@WinterWind C & C and Hutt Valley DHBs work(ed) pretty well together as due the historic relationship with the Hutt always being a secondary level hospital to Wellington's tertiary level and the two institutions long have shared specialist staff between the 2. I've lived in the Hutt and Wellington for a good few since being born in the Hutt Hospital half a century ago. I had a serious skin cancer scare a few years ago and referrals between the 2 DHB I never had issues with. I've also had recent experience with my Dad with navigating the two DHBs and it seemed to work pretty well. My personal opinion is the issues in the health system around covid is more likely the cause.
@@user-uy6uc5ey5q I agree re covid. I'm just wondering if chopping and changing things might have been part of the delay too. I was also interested in the hesitation shown to go through insurance. Arguably you'd jump at the chance to use insurance if it's there. Maybe it was an 80/20 situation, maybe it was just as delayed as the public system, I don't know but I'd like to hear Tara's thoughts
Our private specialists also work in the public hospitals. My son had to have surgery on both knees (skateboarding). To do the surgery faster, it was done in a private hospital in Hamilton- paid in fall by the government. I broke my arm 18 months ago, had to have surgery, doctors, X-rays, medication, surgery and post op therapy. All free. Travel costs were subsidised by the government as well. Unlike the Australian system, where every tax payer pays an additional 2% tax towards their universal healthcare system, New Zealanders don’t. I never went to a doctor during the 8 years l worked in Aus so it really pissed me off that l was been charged for services l never used. That was approx $1500 per year, I’ve never paid that much in my entire life for doctors visits in NZ. Australian pharmaceutical costs are also extremely expensive compared to NZ. My daughter took her newborn to the doctor in Aus, the chemist prescription was $86. Babies and children up to 18 years are free in NZ. I was shocked. If l did require medical care l use to do it when l visited family in NZ. However Australian hospitals are free to Kiwis.
On holidays in Poland I hit a glass lamp and cut my hand in 5 places. Two of those cuts required stitches. In ER. And I had no insurance card on me, so the ER had a doctor see the wound and a technician put stitches. The bill was 75 US dollars. The peicedure took 45 (!) minutes from fhe moment I entered the hospital to the noment I left.
My son needed to fly to Hamilton for treatment... flights= all free, hospital stay for 2 wks= all free, medicine= all free. Grateful for nz free hospitals. Went to the doctor in usa $200 for 10mins!!!
ACC: Accident Compensation Corporation Covers any accidents a person may have. Fault is not an issue. Each incident is given a "case number" and this will cover the injury, basically for life. ACC will also cover cost of ambulance if required However in the Wellington region, which includes Lower Hutt. The ambulance is free. Good recovery to you
It is what it is. Private insurance is available at a cost. I had a kidney fail last year and waited 3 months as I was pushed down know doubt you were because of emergency surgery requirements. I am glad for our system government funded and not by enriched corporations like in the USA or Asia. My surgeon was one of the top renal surgeons in the world and no charge. In Thailand I was looking north of 70k Nz.
Funnly enough most US health care by value is paid for by the Federal Government through Medicare, Mediaid and VA (about 70%). the US doesn't have private healthcare per-say but is actually facist in a political sense - government control of the market).
The cost of no cost is wait time unfortunately. I am sorry your daughter had to wait, even though she had equipment to help before surgery for free, waiting on an injury plays a massive part to the healing process. I have had amazing experiences with the NZ health system, including in E.D, but I also have conditions which prioritise my treatment so I don't have to wait. I'm sure this system would work wonderfully if we had better paid healthcare workers that didn't feel the need to leave the country to have their skills appreciated fully and be paid fairly. The people that take care of you here in NZ are amazing, I just wish they were being looked after with their paychecks.
I arrived at the ER in Texas at 8pm & overheard people saying they had been there since 4pm. I was home by 2am, but for a user-pays system, it was still a long wait for many. At least in NZ I wouldn't get the $6,000 bill.
Glad your daughter's feeling better! When you said you had to wait a long time in the wait rooms I was expecting something much worse like here in Canada 😂. If you get served in under 6 hours consider yourself a winner. 6-8 is common and I've heard of up to as long as 14hr wait lol.
My current experience is similar. On Christmas eve 2020 I was rear ended while in a car travelling for work. Before leaving work I reported the accident on the organisations internal H&S system. I went to see my GP after work because I had a headache, and showed no sigh of concussion. Over the last 12 months I have been getting an increasing amount of stiffness and discomfort in my neck and in mid August I went back to the GP. Due to the time elapsed I didn't know what the cause might be, but the doctor looked back through my records and identified this incident. An ACC claim was lodged. I was sent for a series of X-rays on the same evening as seeing the GP, and the results were with the GP the next morning. Based on the X-rays it was decided that I should have physio as soon as possible and an MRI scan. The ACC claim was accepted a week after being lodged, this means my out of pocket expenses to date will be refunded. They are $45 for the GP, $67 for X-rays, $15 prescription medication, and $176 for two physio treatments. So 3 weeks after seeing the GP for the first time 1 have had 4 physio appointments and my MRI is tomorrow. My physio and MRI is carried out during work time with no loss of pay or quibbles about not being available to work. I have been given an appointment with the neurosurgeon for March next year, but been advised that it the MRI indicates a more serious issue this will be bumped up. All of this is despite delays and staff shortages due to covid. I am impressed once again with the level of service, the minimal delays in getting scans and X-rays completed, I would not have anticipated anything near as efficient in the UK, and I'm not sure I would have been able to afford the treatment in the US.
@@dwilliams7377that is horrendous! Now that I have had my MRI, 5 physio appointments, a second consultation with the doctor, and more medication I have put a claim in to work to recover the $430 or so, out of pocket expenses.
Had ANCA vasculitis with heart, kidney and lung failure. Nowhere else I would have liked to go through this although fair respect to most other industrialised health care systems.
2 hours wait! Are you serious! Man thats GOOD!! Australian wait times in Emergency can be anywhere from 1 1/2 hours and above but usually its around 3 hours unless you are in a critical condition.
Hi Tara, just discovered your channel and I have been really enjoying it. You come across as a really impressive person. Congratulations on a great channel with great content.
ACC is your primary insurer if your NZ citizen, NZ resident or have access to publicly funded healthcare. You could pay out of pocket & go privately however, insurance will look at a case by case basis if it’s for ACC. Physio surcharge for ACC. We have private fancy hospitals in NZ too. ACC pays for your loss of income if your off work for prolonged period of time. ACC will pay lump sum if you lose a limb etc. public hospital is for emergency life threatening acute care. Private hospitals for things you want to skip via the public like cancer treatment or cardiac, major events.
There a relatively zero private medical hospitals. NZ has private surgical hospitals. If it is serious go public, no private hospitals except the SAN in Sydney has anything remotely approaching the critical care services of a level three base hospital.
Hi, not sure if this has been mentioned but I think there is a reason why they often wait until a child who needs an ACL operation is a littler older, something about making sure their growth plates are more formed / there being risks to performing that surgery on younger children? My son had the exact same injury at 11 years old, and needed to wait until he was 13 before they would do the surgery.
I broke my arm it cost me $50 for urgent Drs Appointment after that it was all free even my Taxis to my weekly fracture clinic and physio was covered by ACC. I did have to pay $25 for each physio appiontment. My physio was incredable he had been a full time physio for our international cricket team.
My wife gave birth and I paid a total of 75nzd just for parking for three days. Food was free for my wife, but the catering lady gave me free food since there were a lot of mothers going home earlier than anticipated.
Kiwi here - had a cardiac scare a number of years ago. Turned out to be a false alarm. The ambulance transfer to hospital, tests, and overnight observation were all free. The Uber to get home wasn’t. Had some follow up tests for which I used my private insurance to expedite matters. Note: in most parts of nz, the ambulance wouldn’t have been free. In Wellington it is.
I have a cancer gene that puts me at very high risk. If ever I have any potential symptoms I've always been seen by the specialist within weeks of referral. I go under GA every year for screening, which involves a specialist, an anaesthetist or two & multiple nursing staff & I never pay a cent! My husband is American but I refuse to move there because the cost of insurance I'd have to pay for the preventive care & treatment, that I receive here for free, would be astrological. If IV antihistamines cost $6,500 in the US, I'd hate to know what my screening under GA would set me back. 🥺 My life is worth more than that.
Just had shingles (same virus as chicken pox) on one side of my face around three to four weeks ago. The doctor (GP) prescribed Vaclovir straight away. The GP visit was $47.00 and the Vaclovir and some antibiotics (to cover all bases since it was going to be days for the lab results to confirm whether it was shingles) came to a total of $10. I’m in NZ.
I had a knee reconstruction in 2010, my boss had me put into a private hospital,still had to wait a couple of months,but I watched the whole thing on the tv above the operating table, didn't cost anything for me,but I think it was covered through work insurance. Other then that,never had to go to a hospital before.
@@pamelamilanesuy1433 They were pretty good bosses ,paid us $80 a day extra on top of our wages if we had to travel for work. This is in New Zealand as well.
Lower Hutt huh? Don't be afraid to go to Hutt Hospital when needing any emergency treatment, the Head Nurse in the ED is Doug King, he is also a Dr of Sports Medicine and founder of the King-Devick research for Concussion. Quite knowledgeable if you may have any questions on sports injury healing, he also has numerous publications in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness. If he is not run ragged, I am sure he will assist you in whatever you may need. Yes the name is similar because he is my oldest brother. Yes the waiting list is a pitfall of the Government funded Healthcare system, Private Healthcare Insurance should not be too much of a hassle if you search around the insurance agencies, that is if you want to go private and skip the waiting list, at least you wont have to pay through the nose (or pay an arm and a leg).
Each health situation is a long unique journey of research, phone calls and in-person visits to doctors, hospitals and even specialists here in the USA Even if you have a good health insurance policy which half the population does NOT (unless you’ve signed up for a health care subsidy that began when Obama was in office) then you still get a barrage of bills after showing what the insurance paid and what you might owe beyond that. These bills can come from many offices like radiologist, lab, specialists like infectious disease control doctors or aftercare therapy. So it’s very common to receive 4-7 bills from various places you visit on any healthcare journey for each situation.
ACL is a serious injury. My brother had an ACL injury in the 80's and didn't decide to get surgery until some years later. He has to wear a brace when he skis, but generally otherwise OK. Luckily in NZ ACL surgery is pretty advanced because it is a common rugby injury.
Netball it's a common netball injury one of the unforeseen but enormous public goods that ACC results in is basically a perfect recording of sporting injuries. Netball in terms of injury and disability is the most dangerous sport.
Oh but one more point, the nurses especially are overwhelmed atm, so patience and understanding is good to remember. They are trying to do everything they can with limited resources, not taking breaks to keep care levels up, and not paid near what they are worth. Shout out to the kiwi nurses. The reason our healthcare system is fantastic is because of the dedicated people not the $$$
Knees are a serious injury I dislocated my knee playing rugby in my early 20's and ended up in plaster from my hip down to my ankle for about 6 weeks and at least another 6 weeks on crutches because I couldn't put any weight on my knee and even after I came off the crutches it was another 7 or 8 months before I had any confidence in it, and at least another year before I played rugby again....I reckon it took 5 years for me to totally recover from that injury There is not a country in the world that has a perfect health system, but New Zealand's is as "alright" as you'll find anywhere else
Interesting to hear from your daughter, you don't talk too much about your kids and I've sometimes wondered if they'd picked up the Kiwi accent, Sydney doesn't appear to have,can still hear the US accent but not as strong. I assume the younger ones have picked it up more?
I'm a Kiwi in Wellington and a few years ago was the victim of a hit and run while on my moped. I was picked up by an ambulance, given pain meds, spent the night in the ED, got x-rays and more meds, though fortunately I wasn't badly hurt. I received a letter in the mail a few weeks later from the ambulance. All it asked was if the service I received was adequate. No charge at all for ANY of it. And had I been out of action for longer, ACC would have supported me while I couldn't work, and covered any treatments, surgeries or rehab if I'd needed them. It kept going around and around in my head that if I was in America, just that emergency care would have likely been around 30k, and financially ruined me (a minimum wage worker at the time, with a student loan and minimal savings) ... because somebody hit me with their car out of the blue. Unfathomable and terrifying.
Students are generally covered by university plans or medi-aid. In patient care wouldn't cost you a dime. In Oz you would be screwed until the civil court case had been completed. It's werid in OZ injuries from accidents often require litigation against a nominal defendent.
ACC is not part of the regular public healthcare system. Under ACC is like an insurance, and you are more likely to be directed to a private medical facility. Outside ACC, you either pay, or you need to use a public facility (like a hospital).
Kiwi here. Accident Compensation Commission is not an Insurance Company no one is selling insurance . The ACCIDENT COMPENSATION COMMISSION is mandatorily funded by Employers levies for every employee and Self employed people must pay a levy. The goal is that there is no claim to sue anyone for ACCidents in NZ in court because you will be compensated healthwise and all parties looked after. This includes wage compensation 80% and medical care for life if necessary.Does not matter who or what caused the injury you cannot make a claim to sue anyone here in a NZ. court about accidental and or health matters. You may place an official complaint to the Health and Disability Commission to complain about medical care, neglect, misadventure and or complain about a Nurse ,GP, Specialist, Physio, Operation, health practitioner communication etc to the National Registering Body e.g. NZ Nursing Council. The Health Assurance Competency Act main purpose is to protect the health and safety of members of the public by providing for mechanisms to ensure that health practitioners are competent and fit to practise their professions.
@@carolinemcnicol498 it's the ACCIDENT COMPENSATION CORPORATION and it's insurance. And you can sue for out of pocket expenses the missing 20% of your wages or lack of coverage.
I injured my knee in July 2007. After x-ray, MRI in August I was scheduled for surgery, a meniscectomy, in October 2007. Unfortunately I was on holiday in Europe for October 2007 and I had to postpone. I didn't get the surgery until August 2008. I hobbled around UK and France, hobbled around NZ for a year. If I had insurance I'm sure it would have been done immediately. I was offered to get it done the next week if I paid $8700 (I think it was that much). It was done at Kenepuru hospital. I went home after a couple of hours.
The only other time I had surgery was in 1993, tonsillectomy. It was part of the brief time I had health insurance through my union. I was in within 2 weeks of them deciding I needed it. Was a private hospital of the North Shore of Auckland. I stayed overnight I don't think there were any co-poys or anything at all.
Yes well health care in New Zealand since COVID, has got way worse. But a few tips, never go to a&e on a Saturday cause it’s full of kids with rugby or netball injuries. It’s way better to register your family with a local gp, make an appointment and avoid the wait. Oh and if you are registered the cost is even lower than the a&e, $22 for a consult for me, a&e is $50, and prescription costs are also nothing, free or $5 mainly
Your employer paid a risk-based levy on your salary or you paid it if you were self-employed and your were also paid 1.2% of your gross wage thru paye (1040 withholdings using another country's parlance) . In the end, it works out better with a no-fault system.
At all times I was treated and looked after in the most amazing fashion. I was cared for like I was Prince Charles, the love and care I received was truly amazing. I could not find fault anywhere, and in addition the food was nice.
I think you have hit on a global issue. Aging population and unhealthy lifestyles has led to a huge upsurge in demand no matter if it's a public (free) or private (insurance) system. Every country is competing. My medical practice has English, Indian and US-trained drs.
Just be aware that as matters stand politically (this is a political issue for our 2023 central government elections) currently, dental care for anyone aged over 18 years is NOT free and can be expensive depending on the care required. A single filling is about NZD$350. However, regional hospitals have dental departments that offer subsidised 'relief-of-pain only' (i.e., fillings, extractions) clinics which are available to eligible beneficiaries. Users of such services are limited to one procedure and are charged approximately $40 per visit, but there is no limit on the number of visits per year. For anyone not eligible for the subsidised hospital 'relief-of-pain' dental care the only choice is to go through private dentists for required annual check-ups or other remedial care.
Hey, so I guess health care in NZ sounds similar to health care in the UK- which is acceptable but when you come from Germany you are spoiled😊 . I lived in the UK for 6 years, in the States for two years, 4 years in Poland and the rest of the time in Germany (I am 40). In Germany you pay based on your salary and my husband and I pay about 750Euros a month for public health insurance for our family of four. If you don't have money you don't pay anything but get the same care. I guess here your daughter would have gotten asurgery the same day or at least the same week😊 We are considering moving to NZ but are worried about giving up the really good health care in Germany and our warm solid house😅. Other than that we'd be happy to leave...thanks for your channel. It's great!
I waited for 6 1/2 years for my hip replacement and I am a 5 generation kiwi, sadly 3 American doctors stopped my medical care, on one occasion a American doctor stopped my kidney removal and I have been ill for 13 years, prior to the import of foreign doctors it was only weeks, sadly our system has been overrun,
It's not actually free. It's funded by a portion of your income tax, a portion of your vehicle registration and by employers. It removes the ability the sue for injuries... it's a "no fault" system.
I so wish American politicians weren't so scared of universal healthcare. In theory I have "good" insurance, but the copays are so high (here in the States) for anything other than a standard office visit that I will consciously avoid getting treatment that isn't essential. Even more annoying, when you get any sort of treatment it's not just one bill, but bill after bill from various doctors and institutions.
Cannot believe you had to wait so long. We have universal health care in Denmark and 3 -4 week wait for surgery. I needed throat specialist and got a time same week to see specialist and everything is free too including physiotherapy. Medicine is subsided. All doctors appointments are free too. I am a kiwi and I have lot of family in NZ and I hear horror stories about Nz healthcare
Denmark spends a significantly higher percent of it GNP (about 10.5%) vs NZ (about 9.7) and the per capita spend is lot more statistically. The latest figures I could find has Denmark at about US$6000 per person whereas NZ spends about $4200 per p. When you throw in the much lower pop density in NZ vs Denmark, much higher immigration flows of healthcare workers out of NZ it not surprising in these days of high healthcare inflation we struggle to have comparable level of health services. Of course Denmark has much high tax burden on it pop to fund all this vs NZ. Next conversation you have with the kiwi rellies perhaps mention how much more tax you pay is funding those short wait times. Denmark political consensus around paying more tax to fund excellent public services (and making Danes some of, if not, the happiest people in the world) is something I think should be followed down here in the land of the long white cloud.
Could you have used your Private health Insurance, and got the surgery done quicker in a private hospital.? i remember you said in a previous video that you also had private health insurance.?
She could have gone private, but at that time it was hectic with the covid lock downs and priorities. Elective (Non essential) was still full of the month and month of people that where still waiting to go in and get theirs sorted. So i think it was a case of everyone being on backlog. Not 100% but i think NZ also asked that all private Doctors help out to clear the backlog. That $25 for physio is new. When i got my left knee with the same problem, I didnt pay anything even made me a heat balm to rub into my leg every night that stunk. It worked wonders over taking pain killers tho, so a big Plus in my book.
From my experience with NZ public health care is anything up to a year and a half wait time for some operations. If you can afford private health insurance best to have it.
Yea theres rationing, particularly for operations that effect older people. My grandfather was 95 needing cataract surgery and due his age was a long way down the wait list. There also been big issues with the whole DHB model meaning some of the smaller provincial areas of the country have really struggled to provide the same level of elective surgery as the big cities -though its more a function of lack of national healthcare planning and admin.
Glad your daughter is doing better. Sounds like this happened during the earlier(er)/mid days of COVID. In the US, many ppl could not even have their surgeries. So i'd wager, had this been in the US, your wait would have been even longer (unless of course, you were paying top dollar or had premo insurance coverage)
with Socialized heath or Universal healthcare, yes there draw backs, however the cost to the patience is minimal. Yet here in Australia we have both private and public health and IU find that public health is great, the cost to me is quite little. Yet if I earn a good wage, I would get private health cover too. yet it comes down to countries that have this is that health is not there to make money it there to help people in what they need unlike the US health service they are there to make money.
Private insurance in Aus is very poor. It's generally excludes Cardiac and Neuro surgery which is the very reason one would use it. If you get one of the better plans then something like a CABG will leave you $30,000 out of pocket.
Tax payer funded healthcare ...like in GB. Here in germany it is different. Every employee has to pay his monthly "Beitrag" and the employer pays half of that. The amount of the "Beitrag" depends on your income. People without jobs have access to the same treatments as the paying "Beitragszahler" . Is that socialism? On top of that the health system receives taxmoney . Germany offers also top treatments . We have waiting times for specialists, but not like it is in nz, gb or canada.
Since the 'Beltrag' is a compulsory statutory contribution, another way of describing a tax, and individuals don't get to decide how much they contribute, it fair to say Germany has a type of taxpayer funded universal healthcare. Plus the various levels of the German government has significant controls on healthcare prices by healthcare providers. Sure the system look different on first look, but if you look into the fundamental principles there's not that much difference.
In contrast to my posting on the ambulance service, when I was in the US some years ago on attachment to the US army I developed foot fungus, local army showers there not having wooden duck boards over the concrete floor. I contacted our host unit to see where I could get anti fungal foot powder, and to my surprise in a few minutes a military ambulance turned up to take me to the base hospital. Once there a doctor examined my foot and took scrapings, I told him I knew what the trouble was, all I needed was some foot powder and I could be in my way. No, not good enough, he wanted to send samples to a laboratory for testing, then, depending on results, refer me to the appropriate specialist which was going to take more than a week before I got any treatment. I told him that we were moving shortly so this was no use to me so he gave me latter to pass to my next doctor. When I left I had the ambulance driver take me to a civilian pharmacy, purchased the appropriate powder I had been after all along and in a matter of days was clear of infection If it seems that I was usurping the doctor's role, I had been trained as a medic prior to being commissioned and foot fungus is far from unknown among soldiers and is an easy fix. I still puzzle over the overkill approach I experienced there that day.
Oh man that has been my experience as well in the states! There is a simple problem - yet I have to get a million tests first. My daughter went to the ER (same one in this video) when she was 7 for stomach pain. They determined that she needed her appendix out, so was overnight in hospital with surgery scheduled. I begged them to do a UTI test but they said it was negative. When the surgeon came in to talk with us, I asked her if she could run the test one more time before the surgery. Sure enough she had a UTI - the surgeon was so embarrassed and said I would not have to pay anything. She asked if I was a medical professional...I said I just had mothers intuition.
Very hard to get medication for certain illnesses in NZ. especially if you want natural remedies. I was hoping that was gonna change in 2020... but wasn't to be as public voted against it.
Nothing stopping you purchasing health insurance to cover medications that aren't on the pharmac list. Your tax spent on healthcare + private health insurance would still be less than an american pays on health insurance for just basic coverage.
dunno where my other reply went but wouldn't surprise me if it was deleted knowing the crap attitude of some ppl these days. This country has SERIOUS issues which have been made evident from the whole vaccine fiasco but in all honesty has been there for a long time. BTW for those who don't know what I am referring to in my original comment I'm referring to cannabis. It should have automatically been legalized without needing a referendum. That way ppl suffering from certain ailments could be able to access relief without dealing with red tape and all the associated expenses. NZ Healthcare system isn't all it's made out to be. Ppl can get butthurt all they like every time someone speaks truth about NZ but the reason why the place is now a train wreck is cos ppl are deluded about how great it is here.
@@boomertuxx the small bit they did do regarding medical mj was a token gesture it's not accessable at all even if you do meet all the criteria. Suppliers here can't get off the ground either 😒 yes it's brilliant that healthcare is free but the system is pretty stuffed
Health care in NZ is only a shadow of what it used to be. Staff are under paid and over worked ,this is how it is. Probably better in Wellington than provincial areas. Year's of under funding taking it's tolls Cheers Gavin
@@pinayladyoz8044 Thankyou for your comment, when I read some of the comments on here I find myself getting a little bit irratable .When I go to my Local hospital, it is an environment of thread bare carpet and walls that haven't seen paint in a long time . The people who in these places are not well paid ,There is agreat shortage of nurses. Finally my Heart goes out to the couple who lost there son in Wellington A&E due to staff shortages .
Had two hospital experiences recently. 1st a knee replacement with 5 days in hospital ( good meals and great staff) 2nd , diagnosis and 4 Intravitreal eye injections for macular degeneration. All fixed but had to pay $19 for a nurse to remove 18 staples from my knee . Other wise all free..Wonder what it would have cost in the US?
It hard to say as there's so many variables in their system(s). I lived in northern California till about 2017(I'm a kiwi who married an American). I had a skin cancer issue which was going to involve 2 operations (one day surgery and one 2 night) and about dozen tests. With a reasonable healthcare insurance cover we worked out we would be 6000 to 10000 US dollars (you never know till after the treatment is over) out of pocket on top of what the insurance company paid if the cancer was just isolated to my arm, which thankfully it was. You can opt for insurance policies which have lower 'surcharges' but you monthly premiums easily get into the thousands per months if you don't have an employer (I was a self employed) insurance scheme. I might add this was lower than it had been a few years prior before ObamaCare came in. We decided to move back to NZ and pretty much I think i paid $45 for the first doctors visit and then everything else was free.
When my husband ended up in hospital for 2 months (back in 2014, in Sydney), he was in acute cardiac for all that time with all the bells and whistles when it cames to care, plus all the procedures he needed. It was super stressful. But I was very glad that I wasn't going to be presented with a massive bill to go with it. Later I asked a friend of mine from the US what my husband's hospital stay would have cost us in the US, and he replied "Probably your house."
Perhaps my main criticism of the NZ model and others like it is that funding is dependent on the whim of the current government and also the economy (we can't spend money we don't have, at least in theory) so the level of our healthcare quality is going to fluctuate, in that way we are vulnerable. To give an example if the economy were to take a huge dive, and extreme austerity measures had to be put into place the health system would have to operate on much less, and they are already underfunded, also this same lack of resources would impact the overall health of the population meaning the demand for services would also increase. Hopefully this will never happen but it does point out one major flaw in the system. I would be personally more in favor of a not for profit insurance funded system, where money is deducted from wages similar to how Kiwi Saver works, except the optional component would have to be dropped, non wage earners could pay thiers through ACC so should see no major changes, this way we would be protected against these outside influences and the funding level could be set so that Hospitals are funded more so they don't have to run understaffed and wait lists will be as short as is reasonably possible. I just don't like the idea that something we all rely on to live is dependent on a vote in parliament.
Pandemic is a prime example of government prioritising the nation's health over cost. The country is as healthy or sick as the healthcare system that supports them. Compare the US's experience of COVID with practically every other nation on earth.
I would rather have what I need,then have everything that I don't need,it like Apples and Twigs when you compare America's massively ripped of health system,to NZs more then adequate system.
I have to take a very expensive medication for a chronic condition. My insurance pays for it here. Will the health care system there pay for it when I move there on a work visa?
Yes if and only if it's approved by Pharmac the NZ drug buying agency. All drugs in NZ are purchased on a cost based analysis. The turth is NZ has the cheapest drugs in the OECD because there is no personal injury claims and the drugs a purchased centrally by the government. However it's means that the new drugs aren't available for 18 - 24 months. But on the other hand 50% of modern medical research can't be replicated so half of all new drugs don't actually work.
All of this is ok until you have a life threatening problem that is risky to not address in good time but technically not an “immediate emergency” and you’re waiting months or even up to a year. People with cancer, autoimmune disorders that are damaging their organs, liver disease etc. Many just die because of the wait times. I don’t like the New Zealand health system, and I think most people who develop a long term chronic illness would say the same.
Technically GPs aren't part of the public system, though they do receive public funding for a large number of interactions with patients. When the NZ system was setup by the lst Labour Govt in 1938 the doctors (as well as dentists) put a massive fight not to be included in the new system and the Govt caved to the pressure, so unlike say Britain's NHS where primary healthcare is part of the public system, when you seeing a GP in NZ you're (almost always) attending a private business. Though there has been some hybrid public/private partnership called PHOs. Its the private Doctors practices which decided to charge more for after hours care. Ironically during the height of covid various Doctor organisations and individual GPs wanted the government to basically start paying them a salary (over and above the considerable extra payments the Government was making already during the pandemic) , which of course they would have got if their 1930s forebears hadn't opposed it.
She said she went to the after hours and that she did not have to pay ? I think it is actually free for children but yeah it's very expensive not free for adults 🙃
@@shahringland6728 Afterhours are free if go to a public hospital or are under 13. The cost varies if you are registered with the local GP that GP receives a subsidy from Vote Health they form groups like Procare and have after hours clinic's where the cost will be more if you are not registered. If you are rural or a town then services will be provided via St Johns' called PRIME (Practioner Response in Medical Emergency).
Takes over 6 months to get a scan now in the south of South Island NZ Meanwhile in My brother who’s living in America fell off his bike and got a scan that same day.
It depends. I recently had a bout of vertigo and was sent to A&E to diagnose and sort out. I was admitted for observation and had a cat scan that evening to check for anything major. I was kept in overnight and checked over and released the next day. It took a few weeks to get back to normal, but a home.
That obviously wasn’t a Southern Heath Board Hospital. Down here you would have been told to go home and die. There’s a massive difference in the healthcare depending on where you live in this country.
That obviously wasn’t a Southern Heath Board Hospital. Down here you would have been told to go home and die. There’s a massive difference in the healthcare depending on where you live in this country.
That obviously wasn’t a Southern Heath Board Hospital. Down here you would have been told to go home and die. There’s a massive difference in the healthcare depending on where you live in this country.
I assume you pay taxes in New Zealand, given your other videos about taxes. You did pay for the health care, just ahead of time as a portion of your income.
Yeah nah - Not like that at all. You don't even have to be paying taxes you can be homeless and have all access to health. So nah, taxes be buggered. Its really actually FREE!
Private health insurance better (but obviously a lot more expensive). But having the safety net of public health service and Accident Compensation Corporation is a godsend for those that are poor (or even middle income lol)
Private health insurance is really mostly useful for skipping lines and getting access to fancier equipment or premises. Private health insurance doesn't want to know and won't step in in cases of things like emergency care, organ transplants, serious complications etc. For example if you were in a car crash and needed to be taken to the hospital it wouldn't matter at all that you have insurance, a private hospital has no ED facilities and you'll be sent to public to recover. If you have an elective operation in private and there are complications too you'll be sent to public for higher level care
@@WinterWind You understate the case for private insurance 1. We were talking about a sports injury here not emergency needs. 2. I used to have Southerncross Insurance, and needed two operations costing in excess of $20,000 each. I was damned thankful I had the insurance. Public health would have taken me months or years to access. 3. True they don't do emergency - but once that's sorted (free), you can transfer to a private hospital, which is always better quality and service than public (not dissing public, just saying it's what it is - I just came out of public hospitals for unstable angina). The staff were fantastic, but obviously both nurses and doctors were run off their feet. And staffing shortages is a major issue for them. (I asked, and got the same answer every time). Still I'll take NZ's health system any day, every day. Socialism at work, not communism. I pray for Medicare for all in the USA. It's criminal what they charge you citizens over there.
@@gideonporter537 The thing is Gideon, the private system in NZ is heavily reliant on the large public sector to keep costs down. For example if you got say septicemia during you recovery from an operation in a private clinic they be transferring you an ICU post haste as the private clinic simply don't have the staff, equipment or resources to give the level of care needed. That allows the private clinic to massively save on costs. $20000 in the US where I've lived would be considered amazing cheap as a out of pocket expense. And thats on top of have good private health insurance coverage when there. There's rationing in all systems, it just in ones like the US they do by people's ability to pay. Poor Americans just don't have access to anything but the most basic level of emergency care.
Aussie here, I just had a visit to the doctors the other day... Consultation, blood tests, x-rays and it cost me $12... Because I had to pay for parking. This socialised healthcare system is a nightmare!
Thats sooOoooOooo eXpeNsive omg 😆
@@TheAristocrat. I KNOW!!! I almost didn't have enough change for my morning coffee!
Socialism, monarchism, socialized medicine will eventually collapse!… They are not just inferior in quality but the lack of tax payers money coupled with the increasing waiting time will lead to major disruptions!
@@aheat3036 inferior in quality, have you actually looked at charts on this!!!
@@BeckyPoleninja Yes, the technology & equipment are older and lower quality and the doctors and nurses are not as good. Not only that, I watch Channel 7, 9, Australian ABC, A Current Affair, The HUB, New Zealand One, etc on CZcams and I can see what a mess tax payer funded socialist healthcare system is!… It’s barely hanging on now and it will surely collapse if there is another pandemic or something close to that!
Hi there, I'm glad that the system worked out for you. The Wellington Free Ambulance service is a charity, so if you want to and you can afford it, setting up a small regular donation is a lovely thing to do.
Please do, people! Lot's of people donating the cost of a cup of coffee does alot. Especially, if you live in Wellington.
Hi Tara. I had a GP phone consult and a blood test, yesterday.
Was all free, including the car parking. 🙄
The conditions we have to live under. Outrageous.
Don't you just wish that you lived in the " land of the free", so all you would have to do was sign your house over to the Hospital to get seen.😂😂
To me as a 🥝.. the best part of our universal healthcare.., is not how I am looked after…, it is.. that I go to bed tonight as a 🥝.. with the firm n absolute knowledge that any mother… an child.. anyone one.. period.. can get 1st world medical care 24/7 with no concerns as to whether they can have it/ are allowed.
This I believe is the most/ damn near only.. important part of our having universal healthcare..
Not whether it’s nice / flash for you or me/ our empowered families/ how compares to other systems..
It is a corner stone of our being a nation .. together equal/ social equity ..
We do not want a nation that’s divided / them n us.. anymore than can be easily help…
Agreed - thanks for watching!
@@Kiwiamericans
All good.., really just interested in the “take” perspective… / view of of our socialised/ universal healthcare …by people who are not used to it/ idea of…
I hear so many speak to how it affects them .. positive/ negative…
But I assert .. this is missing the point.. and brings forth uninformed understanding of/ conversation around it ….
Those from lesser capitalist/ wealthy.., probably get the idea very quickly.., but aren’t used to the luxury..as such..
But I can imagine.. that for those coming from cultures of extreme capitalism.. it’s easy to look at it from what’s in it for me/ what does it cost/ am I getting a good deal here..
Anyway we very lucky in NZ
1000% agree! Just to be seen....
@@Wananga4
Yeap.. as 🥝.. we all need see and be seen by each other.. we are either a community or we are not
My son needed to be flown from Napier to wellington for emergency treatment. He was a roughly a year old. Not only was all of his treatment covered the entire experience was covered. The flights our stay (5 days thanks Ronald McDonald house) and social services (M.S.D.) Lent me enough money to cover bills while I wasn't working.
Wow that is truly amazing - thanks for sharing.
For this very reason, every year I donate $200 to the Health Flight and Wellington free ambulance. Having used the ambulance service a few times years ago in Auckland where it cost a tonne, then I came back to Wellington and found out we have the only free ambulance service in the country, and I believe in the services these places provide. So, now I donate what I can afford every year. No regrets. I hope your boy is good, now.🙂
American here 👋
I'm commenting this before the video premieres, so I'm not sure of the exact points that will be made, but I just thought I'd give my experience for any non-Americans.
I haven't seen a doctor of any kind - dermatologist, dentist, optometrist, primary care, etc. - in over 4 years. I earn "too much" money to qualify for my state Medicaid program, but if I took out private insurance then I couldn't afford my other expenses (car insurance is extremely high because my home state of Louisiana is so corrupt!), so I just go without for right now 🤷🏻♂️ I'm a reasonably healthy 22 year old male with no allergies or major diseases, so I gambled on roughing it out these last few years to save some money. I've been wearing the same eyeglass prescription since 2018. I'm fortunate they haven't cracked or broken yet, because if they did I'd be screwed 🤷🏻♂️ would have to pay OOP ("Out Of Pocket") for a new pair which would cost a couple hundred dollars.
basically I've been living completely uninsured since becoming a legal adult 🤷🏻♂️
I'm moving to a new state (30 hour drive northeast!) that ranks better for access of healthcare than my current state, so I'm gonna apply for private insurance next year. The cost is noticably cheaper where I'm headed. I'd like to start regular doctor visits in about a year, haven't even had a basic checkup in years. I'm very fortunate I don't suffer from any chronic conditions like diabetes or asthma. I'd be screwed 🤷🏻♂️
other countries' universal healthcare systems aren't perfect, but nothing in life will ever be perfect. I do think that for whatever faults this video and others like it mention, the pros outweigh the cons. I can't believe the USA doesn't consider healthcare a human right. Looking around the world, even to our friendly neighbors in Canada, you all seemed to have grasped this concept decades ago. It's just so discouraging to live in this kind of system. Healthcare is a big reason I aspire to live in another country some day. I'm working on education and building work experience all of my 20s so I can seem appealing to immigration officials in other countries, hoping to be out in my late 20s/early 30s 🤞
Indigo… thanks so much for sharing your thoughts! Best of luck on your move!!!!
Please live in Australia, the Healthcare system is way better than New Zealand.
@@mohork you should keep your mouth shut pal
@@markvegar1442 I am a New zealander and lived in Australia for 38.5yrs I have the experience of knowing what I'm talking about. I was not being rude. Your comment makes no sense.
@@mohork not necessarily if you're a Kiwi.
Recently I had what turned out to be an attack of extreme vertigo (unable to walk without nearly falling and very dizzy and disoriented). I made it to my bed and my wife who was very worried due to my age called for an ambulance. While waiting for the ambulance, which had been dispatched, the nurse kept her on the line monitoring my condition through her observations. When the balance arrived at our rural home, in less time than I would normally be able to get to the hospital myself, two paramedics came in and carried out a range of tests including an ECG. When they were satisfied that I was in no danger and my symptoms were diminishing they gave me an injection to facilitate my recovery and when we were both ok with the situation returned to their base.
The total cost for this was NZ $90 for the call out, two paramedics, medication, ECG etc.
We now have joined the local ambulance scheme for NZ $75 annually which gives us full cover for free ambulance service for the year for the two of us.
Bob - amazing story! Thanks for sharing.
Hoping youre ok now, i do remember my mom having vertigo 😭
In Wellington we have a free ambulance service, thanks to a former Mayor.
@@hobbytime9958 We have had free services in other areas that we have lived, but I don't begrudge a small annual payment for such a great resource.
I hope your daughter's recovers well from her knee op! My experience, as a kiwi, was a bit different. So my son has had a number of surgeries, starting from when he was a baby. He was diagnosed with Pyloric Stenosis at six weeks old: I had taken him to the GP a bunch of times and they'd tried various remedies to his power vomiting and they hadn't worked. Last visit they said, go to the ED. So I went to the Hutt Hospital ED and was seen straight away (GP had called ahead), they did tests and diagnosed him and then we were transferred to Wellington Hospital for surgery (Hutt didn't have a paediatric surgical unit). After that, he was better but then during the outpatient process they noticed one of his testes was undescended, so they put him on the surgical roster to have that fixed. He got that fixed but then it went up again, so he was referred back to surgery again. That one stuck.
After that, I thought, cool we're all good again. Normal life, please! But, when he was about 4 1/2, I was in Aussie for a few weeks and my parents noticed while I was gone that his hearing wasn't what it should be (I thought he could hear but was ignoring me!). They took him to the GP and he was referred straight away to a specialist at Hutt. I never had to make any arrangements, the letter for the appointment arrived in the mail shortly after I got back from Aus. Since then, he's had heaps of surgeries to correct his hearing. He's still under that specialist and it's been six years. Yes there are months long wait times, but I'd far rather that than having to pay for health insurance or pay for the care outright.
I don't think I even want to know how much all of that would have cost in the US. I didn't pay a cent, apart from parking at the hospital (and even that was sometimes compted by the hospital)
I am from Europe and I am considering moving to New Zealand. One of the reasons is that New Zealand was so famously a country with a well graded healthcare system, but to be fair this healthcare system reminds me of the NHS, which even though it is technically free, most Europeans do not consider it as a free one.
I live in Greece where we have a very convoluted healthcare system in which everything is free but also messy. For your case though a single visit to the emergency GP would be enough for him to do all the necessary tests and eventually in the same day get him into an emergency surgery. Also they usually do a general check up on babies regardless if they have any issue for prevention purposes, meaning that his hearing would actually be possibly discovered right there. The surgery would take place within a 6 month period. All of the above at the cost of a single digit amount (in € though).
In Norway and Finland the situation was even more surreal, but in Greece they will also take you seriously even if you had a slight fever and headache.
I'm just glad it's free. I googled how much my monthly treatment would cost in the USA and it was $8500 per dose 💀 then adding the specialist visits, regular MRI scans, physio, monthly blood tests. Etc on top 🙈 I would probably be bankrupt if I lived in the USA 😅 have not paid a cent here
You haven't paid a cent, because someone paid for you.
@@CAWN_G yeah my taxes......
@@CAWN_G someone doesn't pay,everyone shares the cost via ACC xand tax payments. We in NZ believe that a country where everybody is cared for gives everyone a chance to reach their full potential. The "I'm not sick, I shouldn't have to care about anyone who is " attitude seems sick to me,and to most countries with a public health system.
@@CAWN_G we all pay for each other in our taxes.
Our ACC premium payments also.
Canadian here putting in my 2 cents, I know you are complaining about the time frame but COVID is still an issue so hospitals have major challenges right now.
Of course - yes the hospitals are backlogged for sure and healthcare workers are working very hard!!!
Our daughter have been living in NZ for about twenty years , she had our grandson through a C section and had other minor surgical procedures and no payments . Yes for selective surgeries you have to wait . We had use the A&E a few times when we visit and even paying the regular fee is a lot cheaper than here in the states , same goes for medications . Like everything there are things that can improve but no complains here , lol.
Agree - nothing is perfect! Thanks for watching.
Agree - nothing is perfect! Thanks for watching.
I had my gallbladder removed in nz, cost me a total of $5, from the pharmacy for pain relief meds the next day after leaving the hosp...
Same, only mine cost my $10.00, as I got two different types of painkillers...
@shandywilliams24 That’s such a great experience, I hope you’re feeling better and healthy now?
Kiwis can get a referral through their GP to see a specialist either funded through ACC if its an accident or if not an accident then funded through the Public Health /DHB system and depending on what your condition is will be how it is escalated on a wait list if you start to have problems you tell your GP .So things like for example Orthopaedics was a 4 months wait to see Specialist and 4 months to surgery especially during covid 2021 -2022 when all Specialist (who work in both the private and public hospital system) were on standby for urgent life threatening surgery only. So trying to jump a queue then using Private insurance to see a Specialist would not have gained much then but that is your option or you can jump a queue and pay for the Specialist appointment yourself but you must have a referral from a GP first to see any Specialist. If you are in an acute /critical condition and advised to go to ED or go by your own volition or go by ambulance at the public hospital the wait time depends on the triage nurses assessment or medic and Registrar Doctors on duty who refer you to a Specialist. You could be seen straight away by a Specialist ,sent to ICU or a ward or see a Specialist the next day or sent home to wait for an appointment it depends on your acuity.Everything in NZ health system is about priority of CARE e.g.if there is a bad car accident then accident victims would be prioritised for surgery if life threatening and elective surgery postponed. Private hospitals in NZ also provide Public health/DHB operations when contracted out to them so you may need a triple bypass heart surgery and be sent to a Private hospital for example like the Mercy Hospital in Auckland if you live in an area that only has a secondary level hospital like Gisborne or Tauranga hospital that does not do tertiary level care that Waikato or Greenlane, or Auckland hospital does.If its life threatening you will be stabilised and flown in an air ambulance with nurse to the tertiary level hospital and specialist and level of care you need otherwise if less acute a road ambulance accompanied by a nurse. Private hospitals do not have ED treatment and if your surgery or care requires top surgeons medical physicians and health science professors you will be looked after with travel costs, an apartment to live in if on standby waiting for an organ transplant for example and supported after surgery to live in transplant house in an apartment near the hospital until you can be sent home. Its all paid for by every single tax payer in NZ because we CARE about our people.
Thanks for sharing!!!
first mistake, changing specialist. second mistake , thinking a 30 minute drive is too long. in oz thats around the corner. 3rd public health care involves waiting times.
Hello there! Finally we got to watch the video, thanks for that and the many informative videos you've allowed us to watch. I hope your daughter makes a full recovery as soon as!
Hearing about the 'enn-zed' (NZ) healthcare system (and others like 🇨🇦, 🇦🇺), makes ones stress levels regarding the 🇺🇸 healthcare system increase.
The most enchanting thing about your videos is the NZ 'highlights' on your accent, especially as you pause or end yor sentences. I listened so keenly to your daughter, but she hasn't got that yet.
Looking fwd to the next.
Kia ora..love to hear you love this country your welcome to make you feel right at home
It isn’t correct to say it didn’t cost you anything. The health system is funded from taxation. That’s the choice NZ and most other countries in the world make. They prioritise the health of their population above other spending priorities. Also, I think ACC is available to visitors to the country as well.
She was referring to her out of pocket costs..and she has mentioned in her previous videos that ACC is available to all visitors, in those videos she did mention that the ACC was funded through taxes...
even taking the taxation thing out it still isn't free. Go to a dentist and then tell me nz health care is free. Also it costs to go to a GP... and I have a community service card.... it's not free. subsidized yes.... free? no.
@@boomertuxx I quite agree. I live in New Zealand I know what things cost. I was just commenting on the comment in the video that it was free to visit A&E. It’s “free” in relation to the US.
@@nahinetchannel654 I wasn’t solely referring to ACC I was referring to emergency care/healthcare in general.
I appreciate there are co payments for GP, dentists visits etc but visits for emergency care are free.The point I was making was that unlike the US you can access treatment free at the point of use without anyone asking for your insurance details. I hope it didn’t come over as critical as that was never my intention. I live on New Zealand and I’ve lived in the UK so I understand how universal healthcare works.
Visitors should take out health insurance and ACC needs to stop paying for visitors who get injured here. New Zealanders shouldn't have to pay for this.
Hi Tara! Luckily I have never had a bad hospital experience over 60 years.
Approx 5 years ago I had a retinal detachment needing reasonably urgent surgery. They had me booked in a couple of days later. No issues. 6 months later a cataract formed which is pretty normal so more surgery. A year later , same again in the other eye. 4 surgeries in total. 3 at Christchurch public and one they sent me private as the waiting list was too long at public. Nothing to pay, Great care and follow up checks. Hope all continues to go well with your daughter's injury.
Susan - thanks for sharing your experience!!!!
@susanhammond2724 That’s such a great experience and I hope you’re doing well now???
The Covid situation has caused a lot of delays in the public health system. Sorry to hear your daughter had to wait so long for her treatment.
I'm glad to hear you had an ok experience.
I'm a New Yorker, been in Wellington for 2.5 yrs.
I've had nothing but negative experiences in Wellington and Lower Hutt Hospitals.
#1 My son injured his finger, the ER Dr just looked at it and said it looked "fine". The Dr proceeded to wrap a bandage around my son's finger. My son yelled out in pain. The Dr then decided we "might need" an x-ray. The xray revealed that it was indeed broken, but it took 2 weeks to get those results. I had to speak to them very firmly and hold back tears of frustration for them to give me, his mother, the results of his xray.
#2 My husband developed intense chest pain and went to the ER. He was diagnosed with "might be, looks like, possibly" pericarditis. When he followed up with his GP, and requested a referral for a cardiologist, his GP said, "Nope". The GP didn't think it was at all necessary. Meanwhile, my husband had chest pain, and tachycardia. He couldn't sleep due to his heart beating so rapidly and loudly, and couldn't run around with our kids due to the pain. My husband wrote to the Ministry of Health to plead for a cardiologist appointment, and to report what his GP had told him. The Ministry of Health said that the decision was entirely up to the GP. They also wrote his GP and told him to grant my husband a referral to a cardiologist. The GP seemed to be annoyed at that, and wrote my husband a very rude email. He stated that if my husband had gone back for a second appointment and asked for a cardiologist referral, he would have granted it.
Does this make sense to anyone??
It seems like doctors here love to waste patients' time and taxpayers' money.
#3 Not my experience, but extended family's:
One relative recently lost an ovary unnecessarily. The hospital only did an ultrasound to diagnose her, when they should have done an MRI. They missed the actual cause of her pain, and removed an ovary unnecessarily. They've since apologized for this error.
#4 Another relative went to the GP because they had fainted and had abdominal pain. The GP ordered blood work and results showed that they were severely anemic. The GP prescribed iron pills and the patient was told to eat more meat. The patient went back to the GP every month for 6 months. They were not feeling any better, and had asked if they should see a "specialist". It took the GP six months to eventually refer this patient to a gastro. The gastroenterologist happened to be American. He had the patient come in immediately and gave them a capsule camera to find the bleed that was causing this severe anemia. They found it. This relative was riddled with cancer. We've since lost this precious family member.
Every now and then we can't help but wonder "what if" What if the GP had referred them to a specialist a little sooner instead of telling them to eat more meat at every visit for 6 months.
I also wanted to add, some of my extended family here just put up with awful healthcare because they think it's "free", some of them just don't know any better.
My husband, who is a kiwi, but lived in NYC for 15 years is absolutely horrified at the experiences we've had here. The level of healthcare he's received here is unacceptable, period.
Also, can people please share some bad experiences they've had in the US?
I've had insurance my whole life. I've never met an American that didn't. In my experience, it was always affordable, and I've never had a bill over $40. This includes multiple hospital births with midwives, broken bones, and emergency trauma injuries.
I'm from NYC, maybe the insurance policies there are cheap? I understand cost might be state specific.
Thanks!
The most cost effective healthcare system is in Germany. The least cost effective is the USA. Americans are being fucked up the arse by insurance companies and they turn around and say " Thank you for fucking me up the arse". NZ public healthcare used to be first class. But since economic reforms post-1984(neoliberalism, from the USA, thank you Milton Friedman) ) it has turned to shit. Rare to get a New Zealand doctor or nurse. These days they are from India, the Philippines, or, if you are lucky, South Africa. New Zealand medicos move to Australia for better pay and conditions. The National Party likes to bribe voters with promises of tax cuts. They do not say they will do it by under funding healthcare, education and roads.
We pay $1600 a month with a $2000 deductible after you pay your copay you get nickled and dimed by who ever got to look at your case a simple doctor visit can cost you hundreds of dollar with different bills coming in from various depts till your've paid them all off . Because we have employer based insurance offered to us we can't get obamacare which would be better .We live in Virginia $40 is unheard of unless you have a great employer most people don't.Over here there is a doctor shortage so you might have to wait months to see a specialist depending on who your insurance is through .Some doctors are great a lot aren't there always seems to be a time limit on your visit so you generally leave feeling unsatisfied and once the bills start rolling in ripped off.
@@jaclynbannister1877
Anyone injured in NZ can be covered by ACC. Nothing to do with being part of public service. Even foreign visitors get covered by ACC.
Yes you are right - sorry if that was unclear!
And still kiwis moan about our health care. Don't know how lucky we are
You should always have a level of moaning to make sure it stays good. Quality slips if no one completed about the little things.
Hi my daughter is very interested in your videos and has learned a lot about both countries and she really hopes you continue:)
Awe thanks
Hi. I am a Kiwi who moved to Australia in 1982..Then Queensland had free hospital s already I do not think that was universal at that time.
In February 2020 while visiting Picton I fell and broke my left wrist. After being seen by a great local ambulance crew I was transfered to Blenheim hospital emergency where I was given treatment and a cast. They found my existing ACC number still in the system after all that time. As it was mid evening when I tripped on a Saturday of a festival weekend I had expected a long wait when in fact I was the only one in the ward for most of the time. Excellent treatment.
Great story Shirley - thanks for sharing!!!
Hope you all stay healthy and safe. 🥰
Yeah, I dislocated my ankle and fractured it in 3 places, 6 days in hospital waiting for surgery because of so many life-threatening injuries (car accidents) coming in.
ACC paid for my taxis for 5 months, and taxis for my kids to get to and from school when my husband couldn't take them, along with weekly cleaning, weekly income compensation, physio and occupational therapy.
Physio is free if you get an in-home or school programme (physio comes to you), charge under med fees program.
There are private hospitals in New Zealand that are more like America if you want to pay for it. But why bother for such a short stay. Who cares? You're there for medical attention not a holiday.
You chose to not go into the city for the specialist hence why you had to make so many phone calls. And yes, Covid has made many services slower. Its just the nature of the beast right now.
@hkins1 I totally agree with you, private hospitals have higher value of the medications and surgery, I hope you’re doing well and you staying healthy too?
New Zealander here from Wellington. I love your channel and I'm glad Sydney's knee is feeling "normal". From a medical perspective that's about the best outcome you could wish for!
In terms of the costs. American family members I've spoken to on the subject are amazed by our "socialized medicine" which they usually say with great disdain, because they assume it means healthy taxpayers are subsidizing sick non-taxpayers which offends their inner Capitalists!
Other thing is that my USA family think that a pair of crutches, or medical drugs, supplies etc actually cost what the hospital bills their insurance for. For example, they really think that having a baby costs a million dollars. that the NZ taxpayer is having to pay for. When you explain to them that it costs nothing *like* a Million $, even in the USA, that's just the inflated price the hospital tells the insurance co, the penny starts to drop...
I lost most of my eye sight from 3 botched surgeries. I was diabetic so that was the root cause. But first op the Surgeon (visiting from UK) pulled my retina out along with the membrane he was removing. A few years later similar op and something went wrong that needed another op... that resulted in good vision in my one sighted eye dropping to around 10%. Couldn't drive lost job blah blah... Asked the hospital docs if there was compensation, they said I had signed a waiver not to sue, but they did not tell me I should go talk to ACC and neither did the GP's I had. (ACC is for accidents at work or during sports, but also deep in the fine print it is for medical malpractice). I eventually applied for compensation about ten years later and got a reply that diabetics lose their vision all the time, so nada.
I asked a surgeon I have to go see every 3 months for check ups how much all my treatments would cost in the States and he said, minimum of US500,000 if I was uninsured.
Although I got a few poor operations... all the surgeries (close to one hundred separate lazer treatments, a bionic contact lens inserted in my sighted eye and so on, all free. All my prescriptions are virtually free... a little cost every now and then. And NZ$18 per medical center visit for diabetic check ups every 3 months.
I had a stomach bleed about 4 years ago, and an Ambulance drove from Auckland's North Shore to Wellsford, about a 90 minute drive, picked me up and back to the hospital, that cost me NZ$90 (USD$60) I spent 12 days in hospital and that was all free, including the 2 surgeries I had.
Wow Paul, I am so sorry to hear about your eye surgeries! Having good vision can really effect your daily life. Interesting about ACC and not getting coverage for that!!
@@Kiwiamericans If I had something such as my legs were cut off... then ACC of course would pay for a wheelchair, ramps and house modifications and so on. But my case needed treatments which I got for free in the health system. The compensation for botched medical treatment/surgeries was a separate thing that came many years later when a new GP said I should apply to ACC. So the cost was covered by the health system and the insurance side for compensation was turned down as the medical files when the claim was made years later, only said I had diabetes and they did their best.
What I can say, although my life was changed forever... I did not suffer what in America is the most common cause of bankruptcy - being medical bills.
@@paulprice1705 if a claim is declined by ACC you can sure both ACC and the hospital. ACC only prevents negligence law suits where it provides cover. But you either lying or just stupid. I find it hard to believe that some one would loss eyesight and not talk to people about it.
Definitely love watching your videos
It's so amazing to hear other people's thoughts on new Zealand 😍😍
Glad you like them!
Why did you hesitate to go through insurance? It's supplemental in NZ so you could've gotten the initial consultation done privately and either been put on the list for private surgery or had the doctor refer back to the public list for the surgery (which they themselves may have even done, most doctors work private and public, there's no difference in the medical knowledge, just who pays for the service). Unless it wasn't covered by your insurance because it's covered by ACC?
Tsra sort of explained that due the covid lockdown private insurance visits (which remember are all elective) were stopped and then backlogged once the freeze on elective procedures was lifted. i suspect a number of the 14 calls were over issues related to both the public and private system getting back to 'normal' operation post the lockdowns.
@@user-uy6uc5ey5q I understand. I'd be interested to hear if any of the issues experienced were related to pickiness too however. The changing of the referral from Wellington to Lower Hutt is interesting as they're two different DHBs (or were before we switched to HNZ), Capital & Coast DHB and Hutt Valley DHB, so you're removing a person from one waiting list and putting them on a different list entirely. Additionally, wanting to see a specific recommended specialist rather than the first available specialist could've also contributed to the wait.
@@WinterWind C & C and Hutt Valley DHBs work(ed) pretty well together as due the historic relationship with the Hutt always being a secondary level hospital to Wellington's tertiary level and the two institutions long have shared specialist staff between the 2. I've lived in the Hutt and Wellington for a good few since being born in the Hutt Hospital half a century ago. I had a serious skin cancer scare a few years ago and referrals between the 2 DHB I never had issues with. I've also had recent experience with my Dad with navigating the two DHBs and it seemed to work pretty well. My personal opinion is the issues in the health system around covid is more likely the cause.
@@user-uy6uc5ey5q I agree re covid. I'm just wondering if chopping and changing things might have been part of the delay too. I was also interested in the hesitation shown to go through insurance. Arguably you'd jump at the chance to use insurance if it's there. Maybe it was an 80/20 situation, maybe it was just as delayed as the public system, I don't know but I'd like to hear Tara's thoughts
Our private specialists also work in the public hospitals. My son had to have surgery on both knees (skateboarding).
To do the surgery faster, it was done in a private hospital in Hamilton- paid in fall by the government.
I broke my arm 18 months ago, had to have surgery, doctors, X-rays, medication, surgery and post op therapy. All free.
Travel costs were subsidised by the government as well.
Unlike the Australian system, where every tax payer pays an additional 2% tax towards their universal healthcare system, New Zealanders don’t. I never went to a doctor during the 8 years l worked in Aus so it really pissed me off that l was been charged for services l never used. That was approx $1500 per year, I’ve never paid that much in my entire life for doctors visits in NZ. Australian pharmaceutical costs are also extremely expensive compared to NZ. My daughter took her newborn to the doctor in Aus, the chemist prescription was $86. Babies and children up to 18 years are free in NZ. I was shocked.
If l did require medical care l use to do it when l visited family in NZ. However Australian hospitals are free to Kiwis.
On holidays in Poland I hit a glass lamp and cut my hand in 5 places. Two of those cuts required stitches.
In ER.
And I had no insurance card on me, so the ER had a doctor see the wound and a technician put stitches.
The bill was 75 US dollars. The peicedure took 45 (!) minutes from fhe moment I entered the hospital to the noment I left.
Wow amazing
My son needed to fly to Hamilton for treatment... flights= all free, hospital stay for 2 wks= all free, medicine= all free. Grateful for nz free hospitals.
Went to the doctor in usa $200 for 10mins!!!
ACC: Accident Compensation Corporation
Covers any accidents a person may have. Fault is not an issue.
Each incident is given a "case number" and this will cover the injury, basically for life.
ACC will also cover cost of ambulance if required
However in the Wellington region, which includes Lower Hutt. The ambulance is free.
Good recovery to you
It is what it is. Private insurance is available at a cost. I had a kidney fail last year and waited 3 months as I was pushed down know doubt you were because of emergency surgery requirements. I am glad for our system government funded and not by enriched corporations like in the USA or Asia. My surgeon was one of the top renal surgeons in the world and no charge. In Thailand I was looking north of 70k Nz.
Funnly enough most US health care by value is paid for by the Federal Government through Medicare, Mediaid and VA (about 70%). the US doesn't have private healthcare per-say but is actually facist in a political sense - government control of the market).
The cost of no cost is wait time unfortunately.
I am sorry your daughter had to wait, even though she had equipment to help before surgery for free, waiting on an injury plays a massive part to the healing process.
I have had amazing experiences with the NZ health system, including in E.D, but I also have conditions which prioritise my treatment so I don't have to wait.
I'm sure this system would work wonderfully if we had better paid healthcare workers that didn't feel the need to leave the country to have their skills appreciated fully and be paid fairly.
The people that take care of you here in NZ are amazing, I just wish they were being looked after with their paychecks.
I arrived at the ER in Texas at 8pm & overheard people saying they had been there since 4pm. I was home by 2am, but for a user-pays system, it was still a long wait for many. At least in NZ I wouldn't get the $6,000 bill.
Glad your daughter's feeling better! When you said you had to wait a long time in the wait rooms I was expecting something much worse like here in Canada 😂. If you get served in under 6 hours consider yourself a winner. 6-8 is common and I've heard of up to as long as 14hr wait lol.
My current experience is similar. On Christmas eve 2020 I was rear ended while in a car travelling for work. Before leaving work I reported the accident on the organisations internal H&S system. I went to see my GP after work because I had a headache, and showed no sigh of concussion.
Over the last 12 months I have been getting an increasing amount of stiffness and discomfort in my neck and in mid August I went back to the GP. Due to the time elapsed I didn't know what the cause might be, but the doctor looked back through my records and identified this incident. An ACC claim was lodged. I was sent for a series of X-rays on the same evening as seeing the GP, and the results were with the GP the next morning. Based on the X-rays it was decided that I should have physio as soon as possible and an MRI scan.
The ACC claim was accepted a week after being lodged, this means my out of pocket expenses to date will be refunded. They are $45 for the GP, $67 for X-rays, $15 prescription medication, and $176 for two physio treatments.
So 3 weeks after seeing the GP for the first time 1 have had 4 physio appointments and my MRI is tomorrow.
My physio and MRI is carried out during work time with no loss of pay or quibbles about not being available to work.
I have been given an appointment with the neurosurgeon for March next year, but been advised that it the MRI indicates a more serious issue this will be bumped up.
All of this is despite delays and staff shortages due to covid. I am impressed once again with the level of service, the minimal delays in getting scans and X-rays completed, I would not have anticipated anything near as efficient in the UK, and I'm not sure I would have been able to afford the treatment in the US.
The cost for this event in the USA would be on par with the annual salary of a school teacher.
@@dwilliams7377that is horrendous! Now that I have had my MRI, 5 physio appointments, a second consultation with the doctor, and more medication I have put a claim in to work to recover the $430 or so, out of pocket expenses.
Had ANCA vasculitis with heart, kidney and lung failure. Nowhere else I would have liked to go through this although fair respect to most other industrialised health care systems.
2 hours wait! Are you serious! Man thats GOOD!! Australian wait times in Emergency can be anywhere from 1 1/2 hours and above but usually its around 3 hours unless you are in a critical condition.
Thanks for watching!
Hi Tara, just discovered your channel and I have been really enjoying it. You come across as a really impressive person. Congratulations on a great channel with great content.
ACC is your primary insurer if your NZ citizen, NZ resident or have access to publicly funded healthcare. You could pay out of pocket & go privately however, insurance will look at a case by case basis if it’s for ACC. Physio surcharge for ACC. We have private fancy hospitals in NZ too. ACC pays for your loss of income if your off work for prolonged period of time. ACC will pay lump sum if you lose a limb etc. public hospital is for emergency life threatening acute care. Private hospitals for things you want to skip via the public like cancer treatment or cardiac, major events.
There a relatively zero private medical hospitals. NZ has private surgical hospitals. If it is serious go public, no private hospitals except the SAN in Sydney has anything remotely approaching the critical care services of a level three base hospital.
Hi, not sure if this has been mentioned but I think there is a reason why they often wait until a child who needs an ACL operation is a littler older, something about making sure their growth plates are more formed / there being risks to performing that surgery on younger children? My son had the exact same injury at 11 years old, and needed to wait until he was 13 before they would do the surgery.
Hey Tara, your daughter seems like a sweet girl. Such a strong resemblance to her mom.
Thanks! I agree...
I broke my arm it cost me $50 for urgent Drs Appointment after that it was all free even my Taxis to my weekly fracture clinic and physio was covered by ACC. I did have to pay $25 for each physio appiontment. My physio was incredable he had been a full time physio for our international cricket team.
My wife gave birth and I paid a total of 75nzd just for parking for three days. Food was free for my wife, but the catering lady gave me free food since there were a lot of mothers going home earlier than anticipated.
When a family member landed in hospital needing emergency heart surgery and a long icu stay, I was SO GLAD we didn't have the USA system
Kiwi here - had a cardiac scare a number of years ago. Turned out to be a false alarm. The ambulance transfer to hospital, tests, and overnight observation were all free. The Uber to get home wasn’t. Had some follow up tests for which I used my private insurance to expedite matters.
Note: in most parts of nz, the ambulance wouldn’t have been free. In Wellington it is.
So glad to hear you have had a great experience!
I have a cancer gene that puts me at very high risk. If ever I have any potential symptoms I've always been seen by the specialist within weeks of referral. I go under GA every year for screening, which involves a specialist, an anaesthetist or two & multiple nursing staff & I never pay a cent! My husband is American but I refuse to move there because the cost of insurance I'd have to pay for the preventive care & treatment, that I receive here for free, would be astrological. If IV antihistamines cost $6,500 in the US, I'd hate to know what my screening under GA would set me back. 🥺 My life is worth more than that.
Just had shingles (same virus as chicken pox) on one side of my face around three to four weeks ago.
The doctor (GP) prescribed Vaclovir straight away. The GP visit was $47.00 and the Vaclovir and some antibiotics (to cover all bases since it was going to be days for the lab results to confirm whether it was shingles) came to a total of $10. I’m in NZ.
I had a knee reconstruction in 2010, my boss had me put into a private hospital,still had to wait a couple of months,but I watched the whole thing on the tv above the operating table, didn't cost anything for me,but I think it was covered through work insurance. Other then that,never had to go to a hospital before.
Wow, i wish i had a boss like urs
@@pamelamilanesuy1433 They were pretty good bosses ,paid us $80 a day extra on top of our wages if we had to travel for work. This is in New Zealand as well.
Lower Hutt huh? Don't be afraid to go to Hutt Hospital when needing any emergency treatment, the Head Nurse in the ED is Doug King, he is also a Dr of Sports Medicine and founder of the King-Devick research for Concussion. Quite knowledgeable if you may have any questions on sports injury healing, he also has numerous publications in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness.
If he is not run ragged, I am sure he will assist you in whatever you may need. Yes the name is similar because he is my oldest brother.
Yes the waiting list is a pitfall of the Government funded Healthcare system, Private Healthcare Insurance should not be too much of a hassle if you search around the insurance agencies, that is if you want to go private and skip the waiting list, at least you wont have to pay through the nose (or pay an arm and a leg).
Each health situation is a long unique journey of research, phone calls and in-person visits to doctors, hospitals and even specialists here in the USA
Even if you have a good health insurance policy which half the population does NOT (unless you’ve signed up for a health care subsidy that began when Obama was in office) then you still get a barrage of bills after showing what the insurance paid and what you might owe beyond that. These bills can come from many offices like radiologist, lab, specialists like infectious disease control doctors or aftercare therapy. So it’s very common to receive 4-7 bills from various places you visit on any healthcare journey for each situation.
ACL is a serious injury. My brother had an ACL injury in the 80's and didn't decide to get surgery until some years later. He has to wear a brace when he skis, but generally otherwise OK. Luckily in NZ ACL surgery is pretty advanced because it is a common rugby injury.
Netball it's a common netball injury one of the unforeseen but enormous public goods that ACC results in is basically a perfect recording of sporting injuries. Netball in terms of injury and disability is the most dangerous sport.
Oh but one more point, the nurses especially are overwhelmed atm, so patience and understanding is good to remember. They are trying to do everything they can with limited resources, not taking breaks to keep care levels up, and not paid near what they are worth. Shout out to the kiwi nurses. The reason our healthcare system is fantastic is because of the dedicated people not the $$$
Knees are a serious injury
I dislocated my knee playing rugby in my early 20's and ended up in plaster from my hip down to my ankle for about 6 weeks and at least another 6 weeks on crutches because I couldn't put any weight on my knee and even after I came off the crutches it was another 7 or 8 months before I had any confidence in it, and at least another year before I played rugby again....I reckon it took 5 years for me to totally recover from that injury
There is not a country in the world that has a perfect health system, but New Zealand's is as "alright" as you'll find anywhere else
Patrick - I agree...nobody is perfect but it is pretty nice here!
Interesting to hear from your daughter, you don't talk too much about your kids and I've sometimes wondered if they'd picked up the Kiwi accent, Sydney doesn't appear to have,can still hear the US accent but not as strong. I assume the younger ones have picked it up more?
I'm a Kiwi in Wellington and a few years ago was the victim of a hit and run while on my moped. I was picked up by an ambulance, given pain meds, spent the night in the ED, got x-rays and more meds, though fortunately I wasn't badly hurt.
I received a letter in the mail a few weeks later from the ambulance. All it asked was if the service I received was adequate. No charge at all for ANY of it. And had I been out of action for longer, ACC would have supported me while I couldn't work, and covered any treatments, surgeries or rehab if I'd needed them.
It kept going around and around in my head that if I was in America, just that emergency care would have likely been around 30k, and financially ruined me (a minimum wage worker at the time, with a student loan and minimal savings) ... because somebody hit me with their car out of the blue. Unfathomable and terrifying.
Students are generally covered by university plans or medi-aid. In patient care wouldn't cost you a dime. In Oz you would be screwed until the civil court case had been completed. It's werid in OZ injuries from accidents often require litigation against a nominal defendent.
ACC is not part of the regular public healthcare system. Under ACC is like an insurance, and you are more likely to be directed to a private medical facility. Outside ACC, you either pay, or you need to use a public facility (like a hospital).
Kiwi here. Accident Compensation Commission is not an Insurance Company no one is selling insurance . The ACCIDENT COMPENSATION COMMISSION is mandatorily funded by Employers levies for every employee and Self employed people must pay a levy. The goal is that there is no claim to sue anyone for ACCidents in NZ in court because you will be compensated healthwise and all parties looked after. This includes wage compensation 80% and medical care for life if necessary.Does not matter who or what caused the injury you cannot make a claim to sue anyone here in a NZ. court about accidental and or health matters. You may place an official complaint to the Health and Disability Commission to complain about medical care, neglect, misadventure and or complain about a Nurse ,GP, Specialist, Physio, Operation, health practitioner communication etc to the National Registering Body e.g. NZ Nursing Council. The Health Assurance Competency Act main purpose is to protect the health and safety of members of the public by providing for mechanisms to ensure that health practitioners are competent and fit to practise their professions.
@@carolinemcnicol498 it's the ACCIDENT COMPENSATION CORPORATION and it's insurance. And you can sue for out of pocket expenses the missing 20% of your wages or lack of coverage.
I injured my knee in July 2007. After x-ray, MRI in August I was scheduled for surgery, a meniscectomy, in October 2007.
Unfortunately I was on holiday in Europe for October 2007 and I had to postpone.
I didn't get the surgery until August 2008. I hobbled around UK and France, hobbled around NZ for a year.
If I had insurance I'm sure it would have been done immediately. I was offered to get it done the next week if I paid $8700 (I think it was that much).
It was done at Kenepuru hospital. I went home after a couple of hours.
The only other time I had surgery was in 1993, tonsillectomy. It was part of the brief time I had health insurance through my union.
I was in within 2 weeks of them deciding I needed it. Was a private hospital of the North Shore of Auckland. I stayed overnight I don't think there were any co-poys or anything at all.
I was advised by my In-laws to pay to go to a specialist so you can be assessed and slotted higher into waiting list potentially.
Yes well health care in New Zealand since COVID, has got way worse. But a few tips, never go to a&e on a Saturday cause it’s full of kids with rugby or netball injuries. It’s way better to register your family with a local gp, make an appointment and avoid the wait. Oh and if you are registered the cost is even lower than the a&e, $22 for a consult for me, a&e is $50, and prescription costs are also nothing, free or $5 mainly
A&E is free - it's afterhours urgent care you pay for.
Your employer paid a risk-based levy on your salary or you paid it if you were self-employed and your were also paid 1.2% of your gross wage thru paye (1040 withholdings using another country's parlance) . In the end, it works out better with a no-fault system.
In the last 18 months I have spent 7 weeks in Wellington Hospital (3 wks, then after 6 months, 4 weeks) and had two major operations
At all times I was treated and looked after in the most amazing fashion. I was cared for like I was Prince Charles, the love and care I received was truly amazing. I could not find fault anywhere, and in addition the food was nice.
Why is it that the USA does not have universal health care? I have never understood why there are people and political parties who are opposed to it.
I think you have hit on a global issue. Aging population and unhealthy lifestyles has led to a huge upsurge in demand no matter if it's a public (free) or private (insurance) system. Every country is competing. My medical practice has English, Indian and US-trained drs.
Just be aware that as matters stand politically (this is a political issue for our 2023 central government elections) currently, dental care for anyone aged over 18 years is NOT free and can be expensive depending on the care required. A single filling is about NZD$350. However, regional hospitals have dental departments that offer subsidised 'relief-of-pain only' (i.e., fillings, extractions) clinics which are available to eligible beneficiaries. Users of such services are limited to one procedure and are charged approximately $40 per visit, but there is no limit on the number of visits per year. For anyone not eligible for the subsidised hospital 'relief-of-pain' dental care the only choice is to go through private dentists for required annual check-ups or other remedial care.
Hey, so I guess health care in NZ sounds similar to health care in the UK- which is acceptable but when you come from Germany you are spoiled😊 . I lived in the UK for 6 years, in the States for two years, 4 years in Poland and the rest of the time in Germany (I am 40). In Germany you pay based on your salary and my husband and I pay about 750Euros a month for public health insurance for our family of four. If you don't have money you don't pay anything but get the same care. I guess here your daughter would have gotten asurgery the same day or at least the same week😊 We are considering moving to NZ but are worried about giving up the really good health care in Germany and our warm solid house😅. Other than that we'd be happy to leave...thanks for your channel. It's great!
Awesome... yes there are always tradeoffs for sure and you have to give up some things... but it is worth the adventure
I waited for 6 1/2 years for my hip replacement and I am a 5 generation kiwi, sadly 3 American doctors stopped my medical care, on one occasion a American doctor stopped my kidney removal and I have been ill for 13 years, prior to the import of foreign doctors it was only weeks, sadly our system has been overrun,
It's not actually free. It's funded by a portion of your income tax, a portion of your vehicle registration and by employers. It removes the ability the sue for injuries... it's a "no fault" system.
It is a stitch that ties us together as a nation of equals
I so wish American politicians weren't so scared of universal healthcare. In theory I have "good" insurance, but the copays are so high (here in the States) for anything other than a standard office visit that I will consciously avoid getting treatment that isn't essential. Even more annoying, when you get any sort of treatment it's not just one bill, but bill after bill from various doctors and institutions.
Wonderful sharing
Cannot believe you had to wait so long. We have universal health care in Denmark and 3 -4 week wait for surgery. I needed throat specialist and got a time same week to see specialist and everything is free too including physiotherapy. Medicine is subsided. All doctors appointments are free too. I am a kiwi and I have lot of family in NZ and I hear horror stories about Nz healthcare
Denmark spends a significantly higher percent of it GNP (about 10.5%) vs NZ (about 9.7) and the per capita spend is lot more statistically. The latest figures I could find has Denmark at about US$6000 per person whereas NZ spends about $4200 per p. When you throw in the much lower pop density in NZ vs Denmark, much higher immigration flows of healthcare workers out of NZ it not surprising in these days of high healthcare inflation we struggle to have comparable level of health services.
Of course Denmark has much high tax burden on it pop to fund all this vs NZ.
Next conversation you have with the kiwi rellies perhaps mention how much more tax you pay is funding those short wait times.
Denmark political consensus around paying more tax to fund excellent public services (and making Danes some of, if not, the happiest people in the world) is something I think should be followed down here in the land of the long white cloud.
@@user-uy6uc5ey5q yes totally agree. Despite high tax I have much higher wages and prices are cheaper here for most things.
@@KiwiCatherine It’s good to know about the economy there in Denmark, I hope you’re doing well and healthy now Catherine??
From my experience I'd say it was so delayed due to max covid times.
June - yes I agree as everything was backed up.
Could you have used your Private health Insurance, and got the surgery done quicker in a private hospital.? i remember you said in a previous video that you also had private health insurance.?
She could have gone private, but at that time it was hectic with the covid lock downs and priorities. Elective (Non essential) was still full of the month and month of people that where still waiting to go in and get theirs sorted. So i think it was a case of everyone being on backlog. Not 100% but i think NZ also asked that all private Doctors help out to clear the backlog.
That $25 for physio is new. When i got my left knee with the same problem, I didnt pay anything even made me a heat balm to rub into my leg every night that stunk. It worked wonders over taking pain killers tho, so a big Plus in my book.
Yes this is correct.. there was a backlog from covid that I could mot have seen the specialist any sooner so I kept it on ACC
From my experience with NZ public health care is anything up to a year and a half wait time for some operations. If you can afford private health insurance best to have it.
Yea theres rationing, particularly for operations that effect older people. My grandfather was 95 needing cataract surgery and due his age was a long way down the wait list. There also been big issues with the whole DHB model meaning some of the smaller provincial areas of the country have really struggled to provide the same level of elective surgery as the big cities -though its more a function of lack of national healthcare planning and admin.
Glad your daughter is doing better. Sounds like this happened during the earlier(er)/mid days of COVID. In the US, many ppl could not even have their surgeries. So i'd wager, had this been in the US, your wait would have been even longer (unless of course, you were paying top dollar or had premo insurance coverage)
ooh good to know!!!!
with Socialized heath or Universal healthcare, yes there draw backs, however the cost to the patience is minimal. Yet here in Australia we have both private and public health and IU find that public health is great, the cost to me is quite little. Yet if I earn a good wage, I would get private health cover too. yet it comes down to countries that have this is that health is not there to make money it there to help people in what they need unlike the US health service they are there to make money.
Private insurance in Aus is very poor. It's generally excludes Cardiac and Neuro surgery which is the very reason one would use it. If you get one of the better plans then something like a CABG will leave you $30,000 out of pocket.
Hey I’m sorry .how ever .everyone goes through the same way of things.please don’t judge ow medical system.
Thank you for sharing your experience. Do you have permanent residency in New Zealand?
You are lucky, I got told I wait a year, and I had to go private, and will pay for it! 😢
Tax payer funded healthcare ...like in GB. Here in germany it is different. Every employee has to pay his monthly "Beitrag" and the employer pays half of that. The amount of the "Beitrag" depends on your income. People without jobs have access to the same treatments as the paying "Beitragszahler" . Is that socialism? On top of that the health system receives taxmoney . Germany offers also top treatments . We have waiting times for specialists, but not like it is in nz, gb or canada.
Since the 'Beltrag' is a compulsory statutory contribution, another way of describing a tax, and individuals don't get to decide how much they contribute, it fair to say Germany has a type of taxpayer funded universal healthcare. Plus the various levels of the German government has significant controls on healthcare prices by healthcare providers.
Sure the system look different on first look, but if you look into the fundamental principles there's not that much difference.
Oh this is interesting - thanks for sharing!
In contrast to my posting on the ambulance service, when I was in the US some years ago on attachment to the US army I developed foot fungus, local army showers there not having wooden duck boards over the concrete floor. I contacted our host unit to see where I could get anti fungal foot powder, and to my surprise in a few minutes a military ambulance turned up to take me to the base hospital.
Once there a doctor examined my foot and took scrapings, I told him I knew what the trouble was, all I needed was some foot powder and I could be in my way. No, not good enough, he wanted to send samples to a laboratory for testing, then, depending on results, refer me to the appropriate specialist which was going to take more than a week before I got any treatment. I told him that we were moving shortly so this was no use to me so he gave me latter to pass to my next doctor. When I left I had the ambulance driver take me to a civilian pharmacy, purchased the appropriate powder I had been after all along and in a matter of days was clear of infection
If it seems that I was usurping the doctor's role, I had been trained as a medic prior to being commissioned and foot fungus is far from unknown among soldiers and is an easy fix. I still puzzle over the overkill approach I experienced there that day.
I'm sure the overkill was that they could charge the military or insurance you were under for lots of money.
Oh man that has been my experience as well in the states! There is a simple problem - yet I have to get a million tests first. My daughter went to the ER (same one in this video) when she was 7 for stomach pain. They determined that she needed her appendix out, so was overnight in hospital with surgery scheduled. I begged them to do a UTI test but they said it was negative. When the surgeon came in to talk with us, I asked her if she could run the test one more time before the surgery. Sure enough she had a UTI - the surgeon was so embarrassed and said I would not have to pay anything. She asked if I was a medical professional...I said I just had mothers intuition.
Very hard to get medication for certain illnesses in NZ. especially if you want natural remedies. I was hoping that was gonna change in 2020... but wasn't to be as public voted against it.
Nothing stopping you purchasing health insurance to cover medications that aren't on the pharmac list. Your tax spent on healthcare + private health insurance would still be less than an american pays on health insurance for just basic coverage.
Yeah, actual science is a bitch.
@@raytaylornz surely it would be difficult and costly if you had a free existing condition?
dunno where my other reply went but wouldn't surprise me if it was deleted knowing the crap attitude of some ppl these days. This country has SERIOUS issues which have been made evident from the whole vaccine fiasco but in all honesty has been there for a long time. BTW for those who don't know what I am referring to in my original comment I'm referring to cannabis. It should have automatically been legalized without needing a referendum. That way ppl suffering from certain ailments could be able to access relief without dealing with red tape and all the associated expenses. NZ Healthcare system isn't all it's made out to be. Ppl can get butthurt all they like every time someone speaks truth about NZ but the reason why the place is now a train wreck is cos ppl are deluded about how great it is here.
@@boomertuxx the small bit they did do regarding medical mj was a token gesture it's not accessable at all even if you do meet all the criteria. Suppliers here can't get off the ground either 😒 yes it's brilliant that healthcare is free but the system is pretty stuffed
Health care in NZ is only a shadow of what it used to be. Staff are under paid and over worked ,this is how it is. Probably better in Wellington than provincial areas. Year's of under funding
taking it's tolls
Cheers Gavin
Healthcare workers in NZ are moving in Australia unfortunately.
@@pinayladyoz8044 Thankyou for your comment, when I read some of the comments on here I find myself getting a little bit irratable .When I go to my Local hospital, it is an environment of thread bare carpet and walls that haven't seen paint in a long time .
The people who in these places are not well paid ,There is agreat shortage of nurses. Finally my Heart goes out to the couple who lost there son in Wellington A&E due to staff shortages .
Had two hospital experiences recently. 1st a knee replacement with 5 days in hospital ( good meals and great staff) 2nd , diagnosis and 4 Intravitreal eye injections for macular degeneration. All fixed but had to pay $19 for a nurse to remove 18 staples from my knee .
Other wise all free..Wonder what it would have cost in the US?
It hard to say as there's so many variables in their system(s). I lived in northern California till about 2017(I'm a kiwi who married an American). I had a skin cancer issue which was going to involve 2 operations (one day surgery and one 2 night) and about dozen tests. With a reasonable healthcare insurance cover we worked out we would be 6000 to 10000 US dollars (you never know till after the treatment is over) out of pocket on top of what the insurance company paid if the cancer was just isolated to my arm, which thankfully it was. You can opt for insurance policies which have lower 'surcharges' but you monthly premiums easily get into the thousands per months if you don't have an employer (I was a self employed) insurance scheme. I might add this was lower than it had been a few years prior before ObamaCare came in.
We decided to move back to NZ and pretty much I think i paid $45 for the first doctors visit and then everything else was free.
When my husband ended up in hospital for 2 months (back in 2014, in Sydney), he was in acute cardiac for all that time with all the bells and whistles when it cames to care, plus all the procedures he needed. It was super stressful. But I was very glad that I wasn't going to be presented with a massive bill to go with it.
Later I asked a friend of mine from the US what my husband's hospital stay would have cost us in the US, and he replied "Probably your house."
Perhaps my main criticism of the NZ model and others like it is that funding is dependent on the whim of the current government and also the economy (we can't spend money we don't have, at least in theory) so the level of our healthcare quality is going to fluctuate, in that way we are vulnerable. To give an example if the economy were to take a huge dive, and extreme austerity measures had to be put into place the health system would have to operate on much less, and they are already underfunded, also this same lack of resources would impact the overall health of the population meaning the demand for services would also increase. Hopefully this will never happen but it does point out one major flaw in the system. I would be personally more in favor of a not for profit insurance funded system, where money is deducted from wages similar to how Kiwi Saver works, except the optional component would have to be dropped, non wage earners could pay thiers through ACC so should see no major changes, this way we would be protected against these outside influences and the funding level could be set so that Hospitals are funded more so they don't have to run understaffed and wait lists will be as short as is reasonably possible. I just don't like the idea that something we all rely on to live is dependent on a vote in parliament.
Pandemic is a prime example of government prioritising the nation's health over cost. The country is as healthy or sick as the healthcare system that supports them. Compare the US's experience of COVID with practically every other nation on earth.
Interesting perspective Chris -thanks for sharing!
I was curious to hear your daughter speaking. She still sounds American! I would have assumed she would have picked up some of the NZ accent.
She for sure has an accent now and the words that she using makes me cringe sometimes :)
I would rather have what I need,then have everything that I don't need,it like Apples and Twigs when you compare America's massively ripped of health system,to NZs more then adequate system.
I have to take a very expensive medication for a chronic condition. My insurance pays for it here. Will the health care system there pay for it when I move there on a work visa?
Yes if and only if it's approved by Pharmac the NZ drug buying agency. All drugs in NZ are purchased on a cost based analysis. The turth is NZ has the cheapest drugs in the OECD because there is no personal injury claims and the drugs a purchased centrally by the government. However it's means that the new drugs aren't available for 18 - 24 months. But on the other hand 50% of modern medical research can't be replicated so half of all new drugs don't actually work.
All of this is ok until you have a life threatening problem that is risky to not address in good time but technically not an “immediate emergency” and you’re waiting months or even up to a year. People with cancer, autoimmune disorders that are damaging their organs, liver disease etc. Many just die because of the wait times. I don’t like the New Zealand health system, and I think most people who develop a long term chronic illness would say the same.
Umm.... no waitlist are constantly triaged.
@@benaud5790 ummm yes. I have permanent organ damage because it’s taken them years to get on to my chronic health issues. I’m not the only one.
How do health insurance costs compare here, to the US?
They don't... so cheap comparatively. You just need to be a resident
Universal is the wrong word..that means every country with healthcare is keeping the whole universe healthy !!!
You do have to pay for after hours, it is more expensive than the regular doctors 🤔
Technically GPs aren't part of the public system, though they do receive public funding for a large number of interactions with patients. When the NZ system was setup by the lst Labour Govt in 1938 the doctors (as well as dentists) put a massive fight not to be included in the new system and the Govt caved to the pressure, so unlike say Britain's NHS where primary healthcare is part of the public system, when you seeing a GP in NZ you're (almost always) attending a private business. Though there has been some hybrid public/private partnership called PHOs. Its the private Doctors practices which decided to charge more for after hours care.
Ironically during the height of covid various Doctor organisations and individual GPs wanted the government to basically start paying them a salary (over and above the considerable extra payments the Government was making already during the pandemic) , which of course they would have got if their 1930s forebears hadn't opposed it.
She said she went to the after hours and that she did not have to pay ? I think it is actually free for children but yeah it's very expensive not free for adults 🙃
@@shahringland6728 Afterhours are free if go to a public hospital or are under 13. The cost varies if you are registered with the local GP that GP receives a subsidy from Vote Health they form groups like Procare and have after hours clinic's where the cost will be more if you are not registered. If you are rural or a town then services will be provided via St Johns' called PRIME (Practioner Response in Medical Emergency).
Takes over 6 months to get a scan now in the south of South Island NZ Meanwhile in My brother who’s living in America fell off his bike and got a scan that same day.
Interesting….
It depends. I recently had a bout of vertigo and was sent to A&E to diagnose and sort out. I was admitted for observation and had a cat scan that evening to check for anything major. I was kept in overnight and checked over and released the next day. It took a few weeks to get back to normal, but a home.
That obviously wasn’t a Southern Heath Board Hospital.
Down here you would have been told to go home and die.
There’s a massive difference in the healthcare depending on where you live in this country.
That obviously wasn’t a Southern Heath Board Hospital.
Down here you would have been told to go home and die.
There’s a massive difference in the healthcare depending on where you live in this country.
That obviously wasn’t a Southern Heath Board Hospital.
Down here you would have been told to go home and die.
There’s a massive difference in the healthcare depending on where you live in this country.
Her fault for not getting the first one offered just because she couldn't be bothered.
I assume you pay taxes in New Zealand, given your other videos about taxes. You did pay for the health care, just ahead of time as a portion of your income.
Yeah nah - Not like that at all. You don't even have to be paying taxes you can be homeless and have all access to health. So nah, taxes be buggered. Its really actually FREE!
Private health insurance better (but obviously a lot more expensive). But having the safety net of public health service and Accident Compensation Corporation is a godsend for those that are poor (or even middle income lol)
Private health insurance is really mostly useful for skipping lines and getting access to fancier equipment or premises. Private health insurance doesn't want to know and won't step in in cases of things like emergency care, organ transplants, serious complications etc. For example if you were in a car crash and needed to be taken to the hospital it wouldn't matter at all that you have insurance, a private hospital has no ED facilities and you'll be sent to public to recover. If you have an elective operation in private and there are complications too you'll be sent to public for higher level care
@@WinterWind You understate the case for private insurance
1. We were talking about a sports injury here not emergency needs.
2. I used to have Southerncross Insurance, and needed two operations costing in excess of $20,000 each. I was damned thankful I had the insurance. Public health would have taken me months or years to access.
3. True they don't do emergency - but once that's sorted (free), you can transfer to a private hospital, which is always better quality and service than public (not dissing public, just saying it's what it is - I just came out of public hospitals for unstable angina). The staff were fantastic, but obviously both nurses and doctors were run off their feet. And staffing shortages is a major issue for them. (I asked, and got the same answer every time).
Still I'll take NZ's health system any day, every day. Socialism at work, not communism. I pray for Medicare for all in the USA. It's criminal what they charge you citizens over there.
@@gideonporter537 The thing is Gideon, the private system in NZ is heavily reliant on the large public sector to keep costs down. For example if you got say septicemia during you recovery from an operation in a private clinic they be transferring you an ICU post haste as the private clinic simply don't have the staff, equipment or resources to give the level of care needed. That allows the private clinic to massively save on costs. $20000 in the US where I've lived would be considered amazing cheap as a out of pocket expense. And thats on top of have good private health insurance coverage when there.
There's rationing in all systems, it just in ones like the US they do by people's ability to pay. Poor Americans just don't have access to anything but the most basic level of emergency care.
@@user-uy6uc5ey5q Yes - and I find that tragic
@@gideonporter537 Private hospitals look fancy but are poorer resourced than public. If it's serious and you go private you are a fool.
ACC = Accident Compensation Corporation