Lightening the Load: the case for free healthcare in New Zealand

Lightening the Load, a report commissioned by the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, sets out the case for removing the primary healthcare charges that form a barrier between people and the treatment they need. The cost of doing so, which would shift the burden from individuals to the general taxpayer, would be roughly $3bn a year, if dentistry is included. But this should be seen less as a cost and more as investment in our collective well-being, one that will reap large dividends in future. The report is available here.