Photo: Getty ImagesIn a policy u-turn, people will only need to pay a single $5 co-payment fee for new 12-month prescriptions coming into effect from February. The backtrack is revealed in a series of Health Ministry documents proactively released three days before Christmas, titled "Cabinet material: Rescinding a prescription co-payment decision". The committee noted this would mean extra yearly costs to Health NZ of between $6 million and $23m. Other details under subheadings about how the decision would also reduce complexity for Health NZ and curb financial implications for Health NZ and Pharmac were largely redacted. The Cabinet paper shows Brown instructed the Health Ministry to get the policy ready to take effect by February 1.

Source: Otago Daily Times January 09, 2026 01:33 UTC