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With the publication of the Labor health policy, voters are beginning to have a very clear idea of the position of the two major parties on health.
Our healthcare system is one of the most important parts of government, second only to social welfare in terms of cost.
This year, thanks to Covid-19, the health system is front and center in the election campaign. Here is a summary of what the main parties have promised.
READ MORE:
* 2020 Election: Millions More for Pharma and Dental Care in Labor’s $ 1 Billion Health Plan
* National cold in merger of DHB and would not create a Maori Health Authority
* Taranaki MP fears what health reform could mean for Maori, region
Ross Giblin and Robert Kitchin / Stuff
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and National Leader Judith Collins promise quite different health policies
Dental care
Dental care was supposed to be an important part of the 2020 election campaign. In January, Labor leader Jacinda Ardern suggested that Labor might be considering implementing cheaper dental care, but that was before the coronavirus tore a hole in finances. of the government.
Data from Stats NZ shows that dental services accounted for between 0.2% and 0.5% of GDP (between $ 600 million and $ 1.5 billion). While that includes a lot of cosmetic dental work and other nonessential items, nationalizing even a portion of that would be costly, so, unsurprisingly, National and Labor have set their sights considerably lower.
National
National has focused its dental care policy on children with a policy called Tamariki Niho Ora – MySmile.
It is worth $ 30 million a year, or $ 120 million over the four-year budget period, which would go primarily to an oral health education program and to fund an annual dental health package for children ages three to 13. That package would include information on oral health. and a toothbrush and toothpaste for daily brushing. The party would also fund children’s fluoride varnishes.
Work
Labor has a policy of spending $ 176 million over four years to increase the work and income grant for emergency oral health care from $ 300 to $ 1000. Emergency grants go to urgent medical work for low-income people.
Labor also wants to spend $ 37.5 million on 20 new mobile dental clinics to serve remote and high-need areas.
Maori health
Uneven outcomes for Maori have long been a problem in health care. National and Labor promise quite different solutions.
National
National wants all legislation to pass through an “equity filter,” which would attempt to ensure equitable outcomes for Maori and other groups disadvantaged by the current healthcare system.
The party is also interested in targeting inequality. It would require the annual Maori health strategy to identify inequality measures, recommend interventions, and monitor effectiveness against inequality targets. This would flow down to the level of the DHB, which would inform against a board-level Maori health strategy.
Work
Labor is committed to implementing the recommendations of the Heather Simpson Review of the Health and Disability System, which was conducted this period. Simpson returned with recommendations this year, one of which was a Maori Health Authority.
One thing that is still up in the air is how powerful this authority will be. Simpson recommended a weaker version from the Maori Health Authority than the version favored by others in his review. They wanted the authority to have the power to commission health services.
David Unwin / Things
Both Labor and National will invest more money in the national drug purchasing agency.
Pharmac
Pharmac, the country’s drug purchasing agency, has come under scrutiny in this period, particularly for the way it finances cancer drugs. Both major parties have proposed significant funding increases for the organization.
National
He wants to increase Pharmac’s funding by $ 35 million a year for the next four years, for a total of $ 140 million. On top of that, the party has also promised a limited fund within Pharmac for cancer drugs at a cost of $ 50 million a year, or $ 200 million during the forecast period.
Work
Labor has overseen a 20 percent increase in funding from Pharmac over the past period and promises to top it off to the tune of $ 50 million a year, or $ 200 million over the forecast period.
Cochlear implants
Both major parties want to significantly increase the number of cochlear implants with National wanting to increase funding for the number of adult implants to 100 a year, Labor wants to go to 140.
Health system reform
The healthcare system as we know it today has remained largely unchanged since Helen Clark was Prime Minister, but the current Government intends to change that. She called for a review of the health and disability system and the Labor Party is campaigning to implement the recommendations of that review.
National
The party is very happy with the structure of the health system, including the number of DHBs and the fact that DHBs are partially elected. National is also not a fan of the Maori Health Authority, saying it could take away power from the Whanau Ora services, which National supports.
ACT, National’s potential coalition partner, however, backs a major healthcare reform, saying they would like to reduce the number of DHBs to six.
Work
Labor launched Heather Simpson’s review of the health and disability system in her first term and essentially builds on her findings. That includes reducing the number of DHBs to between eight and 12, creating a Health Agency to ensure better consistency between DHBs, and creating a Maori Health Authority.
KELLY HODEL / THINGS / Things
This week, the Government gave the green light to rebuild Rotorua’s mental health services.
Mental health
Mental health was an important feature of the last elections. In government, the Labor Party carried out landmark research on mental health and addiction and invested billions more in services. A recommendation from the investigation that Labor did not commit to was a suicide target, which has now become National Party policy.
National
National wants to create a minister for mental health and establish a network of mental health services across the country to ensure consistency of care no matter where people live.
The party also wants to commit to a goal of zero suicides.
Work
The party wants to invest 151 million dollars in the deployment of Mana Ake throughout the country. Mana Ake is an early intervention program for children’s mental health, currently operating in Canterbury.
She also wants to spend $ 20 million to expand Family Nurse Associations and $ 1.6 million to expand the number of respite beds nationwide from 12; there are currently only 25.
