Eligibility for Publicly Funded Health and Disability Services

Resources for Service Providers

These resources have been designed to support service providers when establishing whether a person is eligible for publicly funded services. To assist in this, patients should be advised to bring their passport or other proof of eligibility to their appointment when first enrolling.

• Eligibility Checklist
• Checking Eligibility
• Checking Passports
• Proof of Partnership
• Eligibility to enrol with a PHO
• Examples of documents (other than a patient's passport) that confirm a person's eligibility
• Determination of Eligibility

See also the Eligibility Direction.

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Eligibility Checklist

This Eligibility Checklist is designed to be used when talking with a patient. Each question should be answered until a "yes" answer gives an indication of whether the person is eligible or not. The Checking Eligibility document summarises the evidence a patient should provide to establish their eligibility.

• Eligibility Checklist (Word, 130 KB)

Checking Eligibility

This Checking Eligibility document summarises the evidence a patient should provide to establish their eligibility.

• Checking Eligibility (Word, 86 KB)

Checking Passports

Guidance for health service providers who need to establish, from the passport of a patient, whether their patient is eligible for publicly funded health and disability services.

Most eligibility criteria relate to the immigration status of a person. For New Zealand citizens, a New Zealand Passport immediately identifies them as eligible. For other people, the type and duration of the Permits generally helps to establish whether the person meets any of the eligibility criteria.

• What to look for (Word, 73 KB)
• Gaps between permits
• Information about Passports without Visas or Permits
• People exempt from having to hold a temporary permit

Proof of Partnership

A pregnant woman who is herself ineligible for publicly funded health and disability services may be able to access maternity-related services if her husband or partner is an eligible person. To access the services the woman must provide proof of the partnership.

• Who is a partner?
• Evidence of a de-facto relationship - Property(Relationships) Act 1976

Eligibility to enrol with a PHO

Only people eligible for publicly funded health and disability services may be enrolled with a PHO.

People who are not eligible to be enrolled in a PHO include:

• people who are ineligible for publicly funded health and disability services in their own right
• women who can only access publicly funded maternity-related services
• Australian citizens or permanent residents on a short visit to New Zealand
• United Kingdom citizens who are on a temporary stay in New Zealand.

Examples of documents (other than a patient's passport) that confirm a person's eligibility

• Department of Labour - sample refugee letters (PDF, 42 KB): A person who has, is applying for, or is appealing for refugee status will be able to provide one of these documents
• Certificate of participation on the Ministry of Education's Foreign Language Teaching Assistantship Scheme (PDF, 14 KB)

Determination of Eligibility

View information on a process to resolve disputes about eligibility for Publicly Funded Health and Disability Services - Determination of Eligibility.

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Page last updated: 6 July 2009