National says it will bring back the $5 prescription fee for those not on SuperGold cards or Community Services cards despite a fresh poll indicating most Kiwis want the fees to remain free.
According to the new Talbot Millis poll results, 86% of the public overwhelmingly support for universal fees-free prescriptions, making it one of the most popular policies ever.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told Breakfast that wealthy people should not be subsidised for a $5 fee when that money could be better put toward meeting other health outcomes, such as cancer drugs.
“As we said before the election campaign, those who can’t pay should be helping and subsidising... definitely want to help people who can't afford it," he said.
He said the benefit of any money saved could be put towards "13 new cancer treatments".
Luxon said there was not a lot of money in healthcare, and "trade-offs need to be made".
Experts say the amount of people that they are able to help is increasing, with tangible benefits.
Luxon said there is more the Government want to do in the prescription space, but for "people who can afford it, there's not point giving subsidised $5 prescription fees".
Breakfast presenter Matty McLean asked the Prime Minister what the income eligibility criteria was for a Community Services card and Luxon responded that he “didn’t know” off the top of his head.
“Yes, look I understand it’s low,” he started. Mclean interjected, “really low”.
McLean asked again “what is the income eligibility, do you know off the top of your head?”
“I don't know off the top of my head,” he said.
McLean said a single person, living alone, could qualify for a Community Services card by earning just over $33,000 dollars a year. For a family with one or two kids, that amount would be $61,000.
“There are so many people who are not eligible for the community services card or the gold card, who are still really, really struggling every day to get by,” McLean said.
Luxon said: “Let’s be clear, New Zealanders are struggling big time at the moment and if you’re a lower, middle-income worker in particular it’s really tough for you.”
Luxon said there were ways to avoid the $5 prescription fee already, depending on the dispensary.
“The reality is, we’d love to do it all, but this is not a wealthy country... this is a country that cannot afford everything we want to do....and we’re trying to look after the people who desperately need the help and support.”
“For people like you and me, who can afford to pay, let’s take that money and go buy 13 cancer treatments,” Luxon said.
For families, prescription fees will be capped at $100 a year.
Luxon was also asked whether he would scrap funding for the Covid vaccinations, and said it would be up to Health Minister Shane Reti to review that.
He said the previous Labour government left “a number of fiscal holes” within the health sector.
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