ACT's Health Policy
ACT proposes to introduce competition into healthcare through a mixed public-private model, give patients more choice through health vouchers, publish hospital performance data, and reduce health bureaucracy to redirect funding to frontline services.
In simple terms
Let patients choose between public and private care using government-funded vouchers, publish how well each hospital performs, and cut management to spend more on actual health services.
Green Party's Health Policy
The Green Party supports universal free primary healthcare, significant Pharmac funding increases to match Australia's pharmaceutical spending, mental health investment including free counselling, and tackling health inequities affecting Māori and Pacific peoples.
In simple terms
Make all GP visits free for everyone, massively increase the medicines budget, provide free mental health counselling, and fix the health gaps between different communities.
Labour's Health Policy
Labour created Health New Zealand to unify the health system and reduce inequity. Policy focuses on free GP visits for under-14s, continued Pharmac funding increases, building new hospitals, and addressing health workforce shortages through training and recruitment.
In simple terms
Keep healthcare free for children, fund more medicines through Pharmac, build new hospitals, and train more doctors and nurses.
National's Health Policy
National proposes to reform Health New Zealand, improve hospital wait times through performance targets, expand GP access, and use public-private partnerships for elective surgery. They aim to reduce bureaucracy in the health system and restore locally-based decision-making.
In simple terms
Set clear targets for hospital waiting times, use private hospitals to clear backlogs, and reduce management layers to get more money to frontline health services.
NZ First's Health Policy
NZ First focuses on fixing rural health access, supporting the New Zealand health workforce over overseas recruitment, addressing elder care capacity, and ensuring veterans receive priority health treatment.
In simple terms
Fix the shortage of doctors and services in rural New Zealand, train more New Zealand health workers instead of relying on overseas staff, and ensure elderly and veterans get the care they need.
Te Pāti Māori's Health Policy
Te Pāti Māori advocates for a Māori Health Authority with genuine decision-making power, kaupapa Māori health services, addressing the significant life expectancy gap between Māori and non-Māori, and decolonising health care delivery.
In simple terms
Give Māori real control over their own health services, fund Māori-led healthcare, and fix the serious health gap that means Māori live shorter lives on average.