Healthcare Differences
The health gods haven’t been smiling on us, hence no new posts for a bit. Both kids got sick, then I contracted whatever virus they brought into the house, except my version of it was extra fun because I broke out in a very scary looking rash. Then my preschooler started waking up at night with an itchy butt, so we all went through pinworm treatment. It’s been super fun.
The struggle for high quality, affordable healthcare in the US is real. For 18 months, we were on a COBRA policy through my husband’s old job, and it cost us $975 per month with an $6,000 deductible. That was a sweet deal compared to the $1,800 and $12,000 deductible it was going to cost us to get about the same benefits when we tried to get coverage through the marketplace. After going through the US system, I’ve got to say the New Zealand system is positively dreamy.
Kids visits to the doctor are usually free. Assuming you qualify for the national health program, your kids’ doctors visits are typically free until the are 13. Yep. FREE. Your kid has a bizarre fever and you’re on the fence as to whether or not to take them in? There’s no risk - take them in. I love that our GP takes a more conservative approach to prescribing antibiotics because she knows that I won’t hesitate to bring the kids in if something is worse in a few days. We can take a “wait and see” approach with illnesses, whereas our US doctor would prescribe antibiotics on the first visit no matter what.
Kids prescriptions are free. And to make things better, doctors will usually write a prescription for the local version of acetaminophen (Paracetamol) and Ibuprofen. Usually there’s a pharmacy in close proximity to the medical centers. Right after an appointment, you walk to the pharmacy, and your Rx is filled within minutes.
Kids dental is covered. Until they are 18. For a period of time, they see someone associated with their school, then around 13 they start to go to a regular dentist, but it is still covered by the dental scheme. After that, you’re expected to be a responsible adult and figure out your own dentist situation.
Dental care is amazing and cheap. Yes, dental insurance is available, and my experience has been that the dentists are really thorough, very nice, love North American teeth, and not expensive at all. I just had a visit, call a full set of x-rays, a complete check with a dentist, and a full cleaning by a hygienist and it only cost NZ$255 (US$178). From what I understand, this is on the very, very high end. In sixth months I’ll go back for a hygienist visit, and it will be about NZ$125.
Maybe I always picked the wrong dentists in the US, but my teeth were never clean enough, my flossing never up to snuff. I left feeling in adequate and like I let someone down. In New Zealand, I get praise heaped upon me, as well as two metaphorical gold stars. It is a much different experience.
ACC covers injuries. “Everyone in New Zealand is covered by ACC’s no-fault scheme if they’re injured in an accident. This includes children, beneficiaries and students. It doesn’t matter if they’re working, unemployed or retired. It also includes visitors to New Zealand.” Yep. You read that right. If you’re here and something happens and you break a leg, just go to the emergency room and they’ll take care of you. There’s a simple one page form to fill out that the healthcare provider files for you, and that’s it. All of a sudden, services related to that injury are covered.
There are a few things that ACC doesn’t cover completely, like it doesn’t cover the full cost of chiropractors or physical therapy, though if you have an accident and you need a chiropractor, mine charges NZ$30 (about US$20) and a physical therapist I visited charged NZ$35 per visit. On the flip side, the ultrasound needed to diagnose a shoulder tear I got doing yoga was completely covered.
Private insurance is available. There are several providers in New Zealand, though the most popular, especially with expats, seems to be Southern Cross. Private insurance lets you get non-urgent procedures done faster and helps pay for healthcare services for things like cancer. It is also extremely affordable compared to the US. For me and two kids to have “big stuff” insurance with no deductible (or excess, as they call it here) - it is NZ$162 (US$113) per month. I looked into getting day-to-day insurance, too, but it didn’t seem worth it as the kids’ health and dental care is covered, and I rarely go to the doctor.
This is not to say that you need private insurance to visit a regular GP. 95% of the time I’ve called for an appointment, I’ve been able to see a doctor the same day. If not, there is availability the next morning. Sometimes my GP is fully booked, but someone else in the same office will see us. This happens at about the same rate as it did with our pediatrician back in the States.
Providers are transparent with costs. Every doctor’s office I walk into has a menu of services and costs posted in plain sight. There are no surprises and no “gotcha” bills that show up four months after the fact. To top it off, the prices are reasonable. Most visits run between NZ$30 and NZ$60 per visit.
What about adult prescriptions? They’re usually NZ$5. Noodle on that one for a minute.
Signing up for the national health plan is simple. Assuming you qualify, pick out a GP of your choosing. They’ll provide the paperwork to fill out to sign up. It’s about three pages per person, plus you’ll need to provide your passport and visa. Once you return the paperwork, they’ll enter you into the system, and you’ll get an NHI number. This process took us all of one day - and that was a good thing because the very next day my daughter got a fever and started complaining her ears hurt!
So don’t be a naysayer when it comes to national health care. New Zealand is one country that seems to have it figured out. I’ve got nothing but good things to say about our experiences so far, and I feel supported for the next time we get sick.
