Consequences of cost barriers to prescriptions: cohort study in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Aims: A NZ$5 co-payment prescription charge was removed in July 2023 but may be reinstated. Here we quantify the health impact and cost of not being able to afford this charge.

Methods: We linked New Zealand Health Surveys (2013/2014-2018/2019) to hospitalisation data using data available in Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI).

Building a systems-thinking community workforce to scale action on determinants of health in New Zealand.

This article describes findings from the evaluation of Healthy Families NZ (HFNZ), an equity-driven, place-based community health initiative. Implemented in nine diverse communities across New Zealand, HFNZ aims to strengthen the systems that can improve health and well-being. Findings highlight local needs and priorities including the social mechanisms important for reorienting health and policy systems towards place-based communities.

Financial barriers to primary health care in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Background: In Aotearoa New Zealand, co-payments to see a general practitioner (GP, family doctor) or collect a prescription are payable by virtually all adults.

Objective: To examine the extent to which these user co-payments are a barrier to accessing health care, focussing on inequities for indigenous Māori.

Methods: Pooled data from sequential waves (years) of the New Zealand Health Survey, 2011/12 to 2018/19 were analysed.