Eligibility for Funded Tests
The Ministry of Health provides funding for laboratory testing
services. Not all services are provided free of charge and not all
patients are eligible for funded tests. Those patients who are not
eligible will need to pay for their tests at the time of specimen
collection.
Referring Health Practitioners are responsible for confirming
that a patient is eligible for free tests. This requirement is
clarified in a letter issued to referrers by the Northern Regional
DHBs. Click
here.
For more information on test funding eligibility, please visit
http://www.moh.govt.nz/eligibility.
All patients, regardless of nationality are required to
pay when having tests for the following reasons:
- applying for an immigration permit or visas
- overseas travel purposes, eg check of immune status pre-travel
vaccinations
- life insurance
purposes;
- pre-employment health checks,
eg., hepatitis status or MRSA screen;
- occupational testing or checks
eg., lead or mercury levels, drug testing;
- purpose of health clearances
where a certificate is required
- wellness testing - health
checks, lifestyle programmes such as slimming,
anti-aging
- purposes of monitoring abused
substances;
- a referral from a dentist,
naturopath or an alternative health provider;
- self referral of
tests
- clinical trials, surveys, certification or legal purposes.
All patients who are non-New Zealand citizens are also
required to pay all tests unless:
-
they are a resident of the United Kingdom or Australia having
urgent care (reciprocal arrangements exist);
-
they have a current work permit valid for at least 2 years, or
renewed continuous work permits totaling at least 2 years;
-
they have refugee status, or are in the process of applying
for refugee status;
-
they are having maternity care (includes pre and post natal)
and their partner is a NZ resident;
-
the testing relates to an accident, in which case it is
covered by the ACC;
-
they are a student funded under NZAID, an ODA scholar or a
Commonwealth Scholarship holder;
-
they are the spouse or dependent child aged 19 or under of an
ODA scholar.