Latest news with #AyeshaVerrall
RNZ News
3 days ago
- Health
- RNZ News
Taxpayer to foot the bill for cancer drugs for private patients
Taxpayers will soon begin footing the bill for newly-funded cancer medicines administered in private facilities for 12 months, under the so-called "transitional access" arrangement. Photo: 123RF The government's decision to let private patients have publicly-funded cancer drugs is a waste of taxpayers' money, and could even make wait times worse, the Labour Party is warning. From 1 July, taxpayers will begin covering the cost of newly-funded cancer medicines administered in private facilities for 12 months, under the so-called "transitional access" arrangement. In a testy exchange with the Associate Health Minister David Seymour at Wednesday's health select committee, Labour Party spokesperson Dr Ayesha Verrall pointed out the vast majority of New Zealanders did not have private health insurance. "Wouldn't this money have been better spent on hiring oncologists in the public system so that people can get free care there?" Under the current framework, insurers already picked up the tab for any new medicines that Pharmac funded, so the change did not actually benefit patients in most cases, she said. "So this money that you are spending on this is achieving almost nothing in terms of access, it's just a subsidy for insurers." However, Seymour disagreed, saying one should not underestimate the "inconvenience" of having to shift facilities mid-treatment, and people "should not be disadvantaged by the fact that they have taken precaution of having private insurance". "When you're getting treated for cancer, you just don't want any more problems in your life or inconveniences in your life, you just want to get through it." He dismissed Labour's characterisation of the change as "subsidising private insurers". "Insurers don't have any money other than what's paid to them by the patients," he said. "So ultimately this is also a subsidy for the patients, who are also taxpayers who are entitled to public funding in this country.... "You can always say we could do more if we were prepared to exclude some New Zealanders from care in the public system." "Everyone is entitled to care in the public system," Verrall responded. Private patients who were not covered by insurance would still have to pay "infusion" costs to have the medicines administered. Pharmac chair Paula Bennett said the drug-funding agency had been contacted by patients who were in private care and had insurance before Pharmac started funding more cancer medicines. "One man was eligible for four treatments but actually needed 12 and he was going to have to move into the public system to receive the other eight. "The thought of having to change oncologist just to get access to the extra eight treatments that he desperately needed was incredibly stressful." According to correspondence between officials and the minister's office, which was released to the Labour Party under the Official Information Act, the plan was initially going to be announced in April. Seymour was unable to say why the announcement had not gone ahead as planned. Talking points provided to the minister ahead of the Cabinet discussion on 2 April noted no additional funding was being sought for the proposal, but instead Pharmac would "make some trade-offs within the medicines budget" to fund it. "Numbers of patients that will benefit from transitional access may well be small (likely less than 10 per medicine) but over time this policy will reach patients at a critical time." In a statement to RNZ, Pharmac director strategy, policy, and performance Michael Johnson said the rule change applied "only to newly funded cancer medicines (medicines funded after 1 July 2025). "The number of patients expected to benefit from this change will depend on what cancer treatments are funded in the future. " Labour's Ayesha Verrall said doctors working in the public system feared shifting more resources into the private system would further increase inequities and wait times for patients who could not afford private care. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scoop
3 days ago
- Health
- Scoop
Minister Should Fess Up On Cuts
Simeon Brown needs to be honest about how much more money he expects Health New Zealand to cut from its budget to get back in the black. 'National has chosen to underfund our health system and expects Health New Zealand to make even more cuts - but won't say how much,' Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. 'Health New Zealand, which runs our hospitals and other healthcare services, was already $1.1 billion in the red. Funds needed to deal with a growing population and inflation are instead servicing the deficit. 'In today's scrutiny week hearing, Simeon Brown pretended that all the new money from this year's Budget would go on frontline services, but most of it will be swallowed by Health New Zealand's $1.1 billion deficit. 'New Zealanders deserve to know where their money is going. They also deserve timely, quality care both in the community at their local doctor's office, or in hospital should they need it. Simeon Brown is failing on both points. 'Simeon Brown's refusal to answer basic questions—like how much further he's prepared to slash Health New Zealand's budget, or which parts of the health system are on the chopping block—shows a worrying lack of transparency. What is he hiding from New Zealanders? 'National is making cuts to services New Zealanders rely on and is not even brave enough tell us what they are,' Ayesha Verrall said.
RNZ News
03-06-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Oral Questions for 3 June 2025
Questions to Ministers CHLÖE SWARBRICK to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i nga korero me nga mahi katoa a tona Kawanatanga? Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? LAURA McCLURE to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: What recent announcements has she made about reforming WorkSafe? NANCY LU to the Minister of Finance: What recent announcements has she made about business tax? Hon BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: Does she stand by her statement about the Budget that "Wages are forecast to grow faster than the inflation rate, making wage earners better off, on average, in real terms"; if so, what is the effect on wage growth over the forecast period of removing the $12.8 billion from future pay equity claims? Dr VANESSA WEENINK to the Minister responsible for RMA Reform: What announcements has he made on reforming national direction under the Resource Management Act 1991? TANYA UNKOVICH to the Minister for Resources: What announcements has he made regarding energy security in New Zealand? Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL to the Minister of Health: Does he stand by his statement in relation to emergency department wait times, "I expect Health New Zealand to empower clinicians at local levels to fix bottlenecks in real time"; if so, is he confident this has occurred ahead of winter 2025? Dr HAMISH CAMPBELL to the Minister of Education: What announcements has she made regarding learning support as part of Budget 2025? Hon MARAMA DAVIDSON to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i nga korero me nga mahi katoa a tona Kawanatanga? Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? Hon JAN TINETTI to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: Does she stand by her proposed changes to WorkSafe; if so, why? PAULO GARCIA to the Associate Minister of Housing: What recent announcements has he made about social housing tenancies? Question to Member Hon Dr DUNCAN WEBB to the Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee: Why did he respond to the referral by the House to the Finance and Expenditure Committee of the Regulatory Standards Bill with a six-month reporting deadline by issuing a call for submissions with a four-week deadline? To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
Scoop
23-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
More Cuts To Come For Health
Press Release – New Zealand Labour Party Health New Zealand, which runs our hospitals and other healthcare services, was already $1.1 billion in the red. Funds needed to assist services to deal with a growing population and inflation are instead servicing the deficit. National has made a choice to cut women's pay and rob future generations of Kiwisaver contributions to make its Budget add up, but without enough funding for our health system. 'Our hospitals and wider health system only got enough in this year's Budget to keep the lights flickering,' Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. 'Health New Zealand, which runs our hospitals and other healthcare services, was already $1.1 billion in the red. Funds needed to assist services to deal with a growing population and inflation are instead servicing the deficit. 'This means New Zealanders won't get the services they are used to, and will pay more and wait longer. 'National has chosen to subsidise tech giants, landlords, the fossil fuel industry, and tobacco companies, rather than make better choices to invest in our health system and pay women what they're worth. 'We know the cuts National has made are affecting frontline services. Day after day we hear stories about waitlists, crumbling hospitals and health staff burnout. National had an opportunity to put it right yesterday but has failed. 'Yesterdays' Budget also confirmed what we had suspected for a while – that the Nelson Hospital rebuild will have less than half the number of new beds than the rebuild Labour proposed while in Government. 'The $1 billion for capital projects is less than the Government needs to spend to ensure our hospitals are fit for purpose for a future growing and ageing population,' Ayesha Verrall said.
Scoop
23-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
More Cuts To Come For Health
National has made a choice to cut women's pay and rob future generations of Kiwisaver contributions to make its Budget add up, but without enough funding for our health system. 'Our hospitals and wider health system only got enough in this year's Budget to keep the lights flickering,' Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. 'Health New Zealand, which runs our hospitals and other healthcare services, was already $1.1 billion in the red. Funds needed to assist services to deal with a growing population and inflation are instead servicing the deficit. 'This means New Zealanders won't get the services they are used to, and will pay more and wait longer. 'National has chosen to subsidise tech giants, landlords, the fossil fuel industry, and tobacco companies, rather than make better choices to invest in our health system and pay women what they're worth. 'We know the cuts National has made are affecting frontline services. Day after day we hear stories about waitlists, crumbling hospitals and health staff burnout. National had an opportunity to put it right yesterday but has failed. 'Yesterdays' Budget also confirmed what we had suspected for a while – that the Nelson Hospital rebuild will have less than half the number of new beds than the rebuild Labour proposed while in Government. 'The $1 billion for capital projects is less than the Government needs to spend to ensure our hospitals are fit for purpose for a future growing and ageing population,' Ayesha Verrall said.
