New Zealand is a welfare state and living in New Zealand has access to a wide range of medical and health service guarantee. The national medical system consists of public, private and volunteer agencies that provide medical security services. New Zealand is a high-income, high-tax, high-welfare country. Public hospitals provide free treatment for patients, and New Zealand residents receive free inpatient services and free medical services during hospitalization.

General Practitioner

When you arrive in New Zealand, you should first register with your family doctor to get cheaper family doctor's fee and prescription drugs. In New Zealand, when you are sick, you should not go to a large hospital the first time, but book your own community clinic or family doctor in medical center. Family doctor is well-trained and experienced general practitioner (GP). After family doctor makes a preliminary diagnosis of the patient, a “medical treatment sheet” will be filled in and a corresponding “prescription sheet” will be attached if the patient's condition is not serious.

After the family doctor prescribes, the patient holds the prescription and goes to the pharmacy to buy the medicine (there is often a pharmacy near the family doctor's office). Hospitals and pharmacies in New Zealand belong to different systems. Pharmacies are usually private, but pharmacists must obtain legal qualifications issued by the government. The pharmacy provides drugs for the patient according to the prescription of family doctor. Regardless of the market price, the price of each prescription drug is usually 5 New Zealand dollars, and the drug fee for children under 6 years is also free. Because the New Zealand government has paid most of the drug fee through subsidies, there is no case that the family doctor earns rebate from pricey drug. Of course, when encountering urgent or unexpected situations, doctor in community clinics off duty, and so on, patient can go directly to local public general hospital for emergency treatment, or call emergency phone 111 to request ambulance service. In New Zealand, all public general hospitals have emergency pathways for emergency patients.

Public Hospital

The public hospital is fully equipped to provide free treatment, 24-hour nursing service, clean and tidy wards and free three meals a day for all New Zealanders receiving hospitalization. Free treatment is also available for patients at daytime clinics of public hospitals. The outpatient department only admits the patients who have appointments with the doctors, that is, patients referred by family doctor, specialist or midwife.

Private Hospital

Private hospital list：www.health.govt.nz/your-health/certified-providers/ngo-hospital

Due to the shortage of public medical resources, many people are reluctant to wait in the public medical system, but choose a private medical institution for treatment. If you choose to go to a private medical institution for any treatment, you will be responsible for the full cost. You can also apply for private medical insurance and enjoy medical and surgical services from a private institution.

Specialist treatment

Specialists are usually referred by family doctor, charging a higher fee that needs to be paid by patients themselves, usually $200-350 each time. If the patient's medical insurance covers part of seeing the specialists, he can apply to the insurance company for this part of the cost.

Overseas students studying abroad in New Zealand cannot participate free medical insurance in New Zealand. The New Zealand government requires all international students in New Zealand to hold health and travel insurance during their studies at a cost of around $600 a year. International students can enjoy the same medical service treatment as local residents only if they have stayed in New Zealand for more than two years. Otherwise, international students will be required to pay medical expenses. If an accident happens to international student, the New Zealand insurance company will pay part of the medical expenses. However, in some cases, international students may not receive any financial assistance and need to pay all medical expenses themselves. Therefore, it is the best for international students to purchase insurance and they can lodge claims against the insurance company after accident. Many schools offer consulting services in this regard.