Labour is promising to make all medically necessary maternity scans free from mid-2028 if it's elected — adding the entitlement to its Medicard along with other pledges it wants to fund with a capital gains tax.
The policy, announced by the party this morning, would cover every scan a doctor or midwife deems necessary after a referral, with no limit on the number per pregnancy.
Currently, what people paid across New Zealand depended on where they live.
Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins said cost should not stand in the way of care.
"Women and their families shouldn't have to worry about money when it comes to making sure they and their babies are OK," he said.
Profits from selling some properties will be taxed to fund healthcare, Hipkins says. (Source: 1News)
“For many families, pregnancy comes with enough costs and stress already. A Labour Government will ease that pressure by making the scans they need free.
"Right now, what you pay for a maternity scan can cost up to $90, depending on where you live. Under Labour, free will mean free, everywhere."
Scans are free in areas such as Tairāwhiti, Nelson and the West Coast, but elsewhere – including Auckland, Canterbury and Waikato – Health NZ has capped costs at $30 for Community Services Card holders and $90 for everyone else.
Someone having the two routine scans recommended in a straightforward pregnancy would save $180, while a person needing five scans could currently pay up to $450, according to a fact sheet released by Labour today.
If elected, free scans would be available from July 2028, according to Hipkins.
The party has already promised that its proposed Medicard would give Kiwis three free doctor's visits a year and free cervical screening for people aged 25-69.
Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said scans caught problems early.
"No one should have to skip a scan because they can't afford it. Scans pick up issues early, help families prepare for birth, and save lives," Verrall said.
The party said its new policy was costed at $28.6 million annually, which it suggested could be funded by its planned capital gains tax.
Labour would also spend less than $3 million a year funding 24 additional paid trainee sonographer positions at Health NZ to meet demand.
"Now we're adding free pregnancy scans, helping with the cost of living at one of the most expensive, but also most exciting, times in a family's life," Verrall said.
Health NZ reported 270,000 maternity scans were undertaken in 2024.
Material released by Labour last year set its capital gains tax at a flat 28% on profits made after July 1, 2027 from the sale of commercial or residential property, excluding the family home, farms, KiwiSaver, shares, business assets and inheritances.
Labour has previously estimated the tax would raise an average of $700 million a year.
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