Health - Emigrating to New Zealand

As with all first-world countries, there are few health risks in New Zealand, with the most important the risk of severe sunburn or skin cancer due to the exceptionally high level of ultraviolet radiation. Caused by a hole in the ozone layer above the country and exacerbated by long periods of sunny days, the level here is 40 per cent higher...

Healthcare in New Zealand is divided into two sectors, public and private. The public healthcare hospital system is free to citizens and permanent residents in New Zealand and covers emergency services, consultant and diagnostic service, operations and aftercare. Visits to a local doctor, however, are not covered, although subsidies keep the...

A third of New Zealanders now budget for the cost of private health insurance, mainly to avoid long waiting lists in the publicly-funded healthcare system. The extra peace of mind is especially important for those in high-level employment or those running their own businesses. The cost of elective surgical procedures for non-life...

Deciding on preferences between public healthcare and the private sector in New Zealand will depend on the health problem itself, its urgency, the comparative cost and the disruption of diagnosis and treatment to work and lifestyle schedules. In general, for non-life threatening conditions, delays come as standard in the public sector, with...