Health workers have urged MPs to forgo private healthcare and rely on the public system. Photo / 123RF
By Ruth Hill of RNZ
A group of health workers, including specialists, GPs, nurses and paramedics, have signed an open letter to MPs asking them to waive private healthcare during their time in office.
Politicians making critical decisions about the public health system – to cut funding, defer maintenance or implement restructures – should not be allowed to “insulate” themselves against the consequences, they write.
Their prescription?
All MPs and the families of Cabinet ministers should rely on the public system.
The group’s spokesman, Northland cardiologist Marcus Lee, said the public deserved leaders who were so committed to public healthcare that they were willing to stake their family’s wellbeing on it.
“Essentially, we want fair and transparent leadership with integrity. We want people who have skin in the game.”
The test was whether politicians were “comfortable and confident” enough to rely on the public health system for their families, he said.
“If it’s good for them, it’s good for us. If it’s not good enough for them, it shouldn’t be good enough for anyone.”
The letter asks MPs to consider questions such as:
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon did not believe having private health insurance meant he was out of touch with the problems besetting the public system.
“I think we’re well aware of the challenges in the healthcare system, which is why we’ve put a record amount of investment in,” he said.
“We inherited again a botched merger that just created a layer of bureaucracy and we’ve put the money in, we’re hiring more people, we’ve got clarity on the targets.
“We’re starting to see some stabilisation of those targets and in some cases improvements on those health targets.
“But we now need a high-performing Health NZ, and that’s what we’re fixated on.”
Labour health spokeswoman Dr Ayesha Verrall said MPs with private health insurance were “betting their own money against the public system”.
“Ministers of health should place a bet on the public health system succeeding and meeting New Zealanders’ needs. Having private health insurance is a sign that you’re not willing to place that bet.”
Labour leader Chris Hipkins, who is a former health minister, took a less hard-line approach.
“I got health insurance 20 or 30 years ago as a union membership benefit and I’ve kept it since then, although I’m fortunate I haven’t really had to use it.
“I’m not going to begrudge people who have it, but I want to make sure that, if you haven’t, you still get the standard of care you deserve.”
Health Minister Simeon Brown said he did not have private health insurance, but he would not impose that choice on anyone else.
“Ultimately, there’s a large number of New Zealanders who use health insurance, that’s a fantastic part of our health system, and ultimately people make individual choices.”
Brown said his focus was on timely access to quality healthcare for everyone, which included making better use of the private sector.
“We will work with private hospitals to unlock capacity, publicly funded [patients] but in private hospitals to speed up access.”
Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Education Minister Erica Stanford both have private health insurance.
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey does not, saying he is “happy using the public health system”.
Other National MPs were more coy.
Simon Watts, the Minister of Climate Change, Energy, Local Government and Revenue, said: “I won’t answer that, it’s a personal question.”
Louise Upston, Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector, Disability Issues, Social Development and Employment, said: “That’s not a question in the public interest.”
Bay of Plenty MP Tom Rutherford said: “I’m not interested in talking about that. It’s not necessary for people to know – I don’t go out into the general street and ask people about their health insurance.”
Green MP Ricardo Menendez March said it was “quite rich” to see politicians not being worried about the state of the public healthcare system when they had the means to pay for private insurance or private care.
“That is why we are really concerned with the Government’s flirtation with privatising more of our public healthcare system, which will ultimately see our poorest less able to access basic healthcare.”
For some Labour MPs, it was a matter of principle.
Kelston MP Carmel Sepuloni said: “I believe as politicians if we’re going to be working to ensure the healthcare system works for everyone, we should be reliant on it too.”
Nelson MP Rachel Boyack said: “My father was a public health chief executive, so I’ve always had a strong belief in the public health system, and that the health system should be available to all New Zealanders, and that includes me as an MP.”
Mt Albert MP Helen White could understand why some people opted to have private insurance, but said it was not for her. “I just think that I should live by my principles. Also, I probably couldn’t afford it. I know I’m on a decent salary, but it’s a lot of money.”
Labour MP Ginnie Andersen said health insurance was not in her budget, “by the time I pay my mortgage and my insurance and my rates and feed my children”.
Act Party leader David Seymour, who is also the Associate Health Minister, said the health workers made “an interesting argument”, but in his view, MPs should come from a broad range of backgrounds.
“I don’t think you should have to fit into a sort of ideological straitjacket to do that.”
The health workers behind the letter said MPs who refused to give up their private safety net would be revealing “exactly what they really think about our healthcare system”.
“We’ll be watching to see who has the courage to put their family where their policies are.”