Labour says it will give everyone three free doctor's visits a year through a new Medicard. It also plans to remove the $5 prescription fee so prescriptions are free for everyone, make maternity scans free across New Zealand, make cervical screening free, and help more people become family doctors through a loan scheme.
“Three free doctor's visits a year for everyone. Delivered with Labour's new Medicard.”
“Labour will remove the $5 fee on prescriptions to make them free – for everyone.”
“Labour's Family Doctor Loan Scheme is the next step in our plan to make it easier to get a doctor's appointment.”
Summarised neutrally from Labour’s own official policy (as at 2026-06-23) and checked by an editor. Nothing is paraphrased without the source linked. Read the original ↗ Arapono is non-partisan. Compare all parties on Health →
Labour proposes giving every New Zealander three free GP visits a year, claimed with a new Medicard at the practice they are enrolled with. The visits cover a doctor or nurse appointment, do not roll over if unused, and exclude after-hours and ACC care. Alongside it the party would change how general practice is funded, through an Independent Pricing Authority, and fund the package from its proposed capital gains tax.
Labour proposes low-interest loans to help doctors buy into or set up an owner-operated general practice. A loan would cover up to 90 percent of the buy-in cost to a maximum of $500,000, be interest-free for two years and then charge 3 percent, with ten years to repay. Up to 50 would be available a year from 1 July 2027, targeted at communities with no GP clinic or where practices have closed their books.
Labour proposes making cervical screening free for everyone aged 25 to 69 from 1 October 2027. Eligibility would be loaded automatically onto the Medicard and claimed by scanning it at a general practice or a community screening event. The screening would sit on top of the three free doctor’s visits rather than counting against them, and be funded from existing health baselines.
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