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A NEW health policy covering visitors and international students has been introduced by the New Zealand Government.
However, the Reciprocal Health Agreements with Australia and the United Kingdom (UK) are not affected by the amendments.
Australian residents and citizens and UK nationals will retain eligibility for treatment in New Zealand's public health system (hospitals and medicines) for treatment that is required urgently and cannot be postponed.
The new laws have been introduced following revelations that overseas women were travelling to New Zealand, often with the express purpose of having their babies at a local hospital.
Under the previous system, the New Zealand taxpayer picked up the tab for the birth and post-natal costs.
The changes to the Eligibility Direction will not be retrospective, if a student or visitor permit holder is currently eligible s/he will not lose eligibility.
Individuals who are not eligible will be charged for the full costs of any medical treatment received in New Zealand.
Comprehensive and medical/travel insurance is strongly recommended for all persons who are not eligible for publicly subsidised personal health and disability services.
The Reciprocal Health Agreements with Australia and the UK only cover health services that are required urgently and do not remove the need for medical/travel insurance.
Other than dependant children of some eligible people, individuals are required to be eligible in their own right.
* All New Zealand citizens will be deemed eligible for publicly funded health services whenever they are in New Zealand.
* Eligibility for student permit holders (both foreign fee-paying and domestic) will be removed regardless of length of stay in New Zealand.
* Eligibility for people on visitor permits will be removed regardless of length of stay in New Zealand.
The most significant change in terms of numbers of people affected is the removal of eligibility for international students. Further information on the Eligibility Direction is available on the Ministry of Health's website at www.moh.govt.nz.
Under the 2000 Eligibility Direction student permit holders are eligible for publicly funded health services if they:
* hold a current student permit that allows them to remain in New Zealand for two years or more, or
* hold a current student permit that allows them to remain in New Zealand for at least 12 months, and can show that it is likely that they will get another student permit that, when added together with the first permit, amounts to two years or more (this generally relates to students in their first year of study),
* or hold a current student permit that allows them to remain in New Zealand for a period of time that, when added together with the time already in New Zealand, amounts to two years or more (this generally relates to students in their second or third year of study).
However, student permit holders will not be eligible for publicly funded health services regardless of their length of stay in New Zealand. All international students in New Zealand must have health insurance.
Visitor permit holders will not be eligible for publicly funded health services, unless otherwise specified.