Healthcare in New Zealand is heavily subsidized by the government. All trips to the doctor or hospital are either free or come at a very low cost. Also, any injury resulting from an accident is treated free of charge by a government organization known as the Accident Compensation Corporation. This includes even the person who might have caused the accident. One of the advantages to this system is that it is difficult to sue people for injuries caused by accidents under New Zealand law which controls compensation culture. However, there are also disadvantages to this accident system. Many abuse the system by naming every injury or health problem as a result of an accident so that they get free coverage. Free treatment of accidental injuries is even extended to tourists and non-residents of New Zealand. Citizens of New Zealand are able to see a doctor with just a small copay amount of about 25 to 50 dollars. International students, on the other hand, are required to get health insurance and are not covered under the system. However, using this health insurance the students can bypass the national system with long waiting lines and are able to see private doctors directly, obtaining a higher level care. Declaring that you will get health insurance is also a requirement when applying for a student visa. Premiums for student health care can start from about a dollar a day. New Zealand health care is ranked highly and has one of the lowest waiting times when compared to other countries’ universal health care systems. Dental care is also covered by tax money until the age of 18. Afterwards, people must go privately or to dental departments in hospitals that run emergency clinics and provide care for a low cost to adults. In public run hospitals the waits for non urgent treatments can take a while, sometimes up to 6 months. Because of this, many New Zealanders opt to get private health insurance which have much shorter waits. Those who want to seek permanent residence in New Zealand will find that it is not sufficient to simply obtain health insurance. You must be in good health before coming to New Zealand and not have any pre existing medical condition. This tight control of immigration is because the government would not be able to prevent a citizen from using the public healthcare system.
Sources
https://www.newzealandnow.govt.nz/living-in-nz/healthcarehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care_in_New_Zealand
http://www.internationalstudentinsurance.com/new-zealand-student-insurance/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care_in_New_Zealand
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110618170517AAjDfob
Sources
https://www.newzealandnow.govt.nz/living-in-nz/healthcarehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care_in_New_Zealand
http://www.internationalstudentinsurance.com/new-zealand-student-insurance/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care_in_New_Zealand
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110618170517AAjDfob